Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky
by SonicAnime2010
Summary: It was a chance meeting on a faithful day as Sonic, fresh off his first win against Eggman, finds himself caught up in another adventure when he meet a certain kind hearted orphan and her "family". This time it's an adventure of magic and technology and the stakes have never been higher. Will Sonic survive with naught but his own abilities? (Mid-A's Nanoha) (Before Sonic CD and 2)
1. Chapter 1

SonicANIME2010 here! Bringing in a new story to start my comeback trail to Fanfiction! I apologize for the lengthy absence.. I've been busy since my last story update… first and foremost, I got a job at a car wash.. the hours can be long, and with that, I struggled to find any time to even think about my fanfics.. but deep in my mind, I was thinking of them.. thinking of how to bring myself back, and low and behold, this story pops up in my mind..

This is another Sonic and Nanoha crossover.. and like Knight of the Night Sky, it will be set during A's for the Nanoha series.. but it's right after Sonic 1 in the Sonic timeline. As of yet.. there will be no magic spells for Sonic, instead just the good ole fashioned spin attacks, spin-dash, and introducing a new mechanic: Rings! They'll be like the rings from Sonic X, used in powering Sonic up a bit in a pinch.

I will do my best to cover this story from the point of view of Sonic as well as the Nanoha series characters. In addition, I will also try to provide exposition for any elements.. But, luckily, the series has a wikia, so if I miss any terms, they should be easy to find. Also, for the nanoha-side. I am using the appearances of the Movie 2nd

Finally, for disclaimer purposes: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any characters in the Sonic series featured here, they belong to SEGA. In addition, I do not own any characters from the Lyrical nanoha series that appear here, they belong to Seven Arcs.

Before I forget  
"Normal"  
 _"Telepathy/ Mindspeak"  
'Thinking'  
_ _ **"Device!"**_

Here we go!

* * *

 **[Intro]  
[Opening: "Eternal Blaze" ****Mizuki Nana** , **Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's]**  
(Visual script for the first Chapter)

The music slowly starts as we open to a bright and sunny day in the hills, 4 figures standing back to back to one another. Sonic the Hedgehog stands with Hayate Yagami, in her wheelchair. Next to them, Nanoha and Fate, whom are also standing back to back.

 **Haruka sora hibiite iru** (" _The prayers echoing in the distant sky")  
_ **Inori wa kiseki ni** (" _are changing into miracles.")_

A high pace ballad of violins, pianos and other beautiful instruments echo as the Nanoha star logo appears followed by the Sonic Team logo to the left of it over the backdrop of a cloudy sky and the text appears as the guitars start

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky**

The scene changes to a dark night in an undisclosed location, two figures, one small, one big, cloaked in shadow, all that could be seen were their eyes and a hint of each one's hair color. The taller figure had purple eyes and purple hair, while the smaller one had red eyes and golden yellowish hair. Both figures gaze stoically at the nighttime sky while their hair flows in the wind.  
 **Mayonaka no ao ni tokete** (" _Drops of my tears,")_

Sonic would be seen in the backyard of a house, laying in the grass next to the "Tornado"  
 **Nagareteku namida no tsubu** (" _flowing and melting into the night sky's azure")_

Inside the same house, Hayate, Vita, Signum, Zafira and Shamal were seated at the table, casually enjoying a lovely snack. Hayate soon looked onward outside at the aforementioned blue hedgehog.  
 **Mayoi naku tsutsumikomu** (" _encountered a warmth")  
_ **Nukumori ni deatta** (" _that tenderly enveloped them")_

Nanoha, Fate and Alph in her humanoid form stand in front of a yellowish background, all of them position themselves in competent battle stances.  
 **Masshiro no yuki no you ni** (" _your forever honest words")_

Sonic, Vita, Hayate, Reinforce, Signum and Zafira stand in front of a light blue background shot, in a battle-ready stance as well; they look at the camera with a serious expression  
 **Dokomademo sunao na kotoba** (" _as white as the snow",)_

Now cut again back to the grassy plains with Sonic, Nanoha, Fate, Hayate and Reinforce looking out into the distance, and with the exception of Sonic, all holding up their respective devices to the sky.  
 **Tetsu no hane matotta** ("r _ouse me into motion")  
_ **Boku wo ugokashiteku** (" _me who have been tangled with iron feathers")_

Cut to dual images of Nanoha and Fate changing into their barrier jackets. Then followed by Reinforce and Hayate, Vita and Signum, each transformed mage would wield their respective devices, (Hayate: Staff with a cross for the head in a circle, Vita: Polo mallet, Signum: sword, Reinforce: Book)  
 **Kizutsuku tabi ni** (" _Whenever you are hurt")  
_ **Yasashiku nareru** (" _you only become more tender and gentle,")_

A brown-haired girl in a blue blazer and skirt uniform types on a keyboard onboard the _Arthra_ with Chrono behind her. The brunette gives a thumbs up gesture and Lindy Harlaown softly thrusts her hand forward with her fingers out in a gesture signaling "go"  
 **Kimi no sono egao dake** (" _and that's why I want to at least protect")_

Hayate, Nanoha, Fate, and Reinforce fly towards a round, silver structure chained to a mountain with Sonic sprinting up the chain at supersonic speeds  
 **Mamorinukitai negai wa hitotsu** (" _your smile to the end as my one-and-only wish.")_

Two blurs, one light blue and the other purple, clash against each other repeatedly, the blurs were revealed to be Sonic and a robot that resembled him  
 **Toki o koe kizamareta** _("When these sad memories transcend time and space,")  
_ **Kanashimi no kioku** _("and become permanently engraved,")_

Fate and Nanoha, in full barrier jacket mode, devices in hand, were firing a volley of shooting spells at animal shaped mechs with Nanoha finishing them with her trademark Divine Buster  
 **Massugu ni uketomeru** (" _you, who have accepted them all without hesitation,")_  
 **Kimi was hikari no tenshi** _("are my goddess (angel) of light.")_

Reinforce rushed to strike several more robots, under the cover of shooting spells from Hayate. They would demolish a fair number.  
 **Ano hi mune ni tomotta** (" _The flames of eternity set ablaze")_

Sonic, with a smirk on his face, and a ring in hand, clenches his fist and rolls into a superpowered spin-attack that literally ripped straight through a line of egg-robos, mercilessly.  
 **Eien no honoo** _ **(**_ _"_ _In my heart on that day"_ _ **)**_

Hayate stands in front of Reinforce, clutching her book to her chest, power envelops them both. Next to them, with a ring in each hand was Sonic, he clenches his fists and feels the rings power envelop his body.  
 **Fukai yami tokihanatte** _("will release the abyssal darkness")_

Sonic and the others landing on the ground and, except for Sonic, dismiss their barrier jackets. Hayate returns to her chair. The de-transformed mages held their devices.  
 **Jiyuu no tobira hiraiteku** _("and open the gate of freedom.")_

Still pictures of Nanoha's device Raising Heart in device mode, Fate's Bardiche in device mode, Signum's Laevatein in sword mode, Vita's Graf Eisen in Hammerform, Shamal's rings, Chrono's device S2U, Hayate's staff and finally a trio of yellowish glowing rings  
 **Tsuyoku hatenai mirai e** _("Then, with strength, I move towards a limitless future.")_

The song ends with everyone looking up and the same logo from the beginning appearing again and the text appears again

* * *

 **Sonic The Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 1  
Sonic Boom! Debut of the Supersonic Hero!**

* * *

 **[Uminari City, Japan]  
[September 20** **th** **]  
-Time: 12:00 pm  
[No BGM]**

Uminari City, a sizable coastal city with a port off the Sea of Japan, wasn't quite known for much, but it is a peaceful city that is quite well maintained. The midday sun graced the lovely cityscape with a radiant blue sky. The forecast had temperatures that indicated that summer was soon to end and Autmn was on the way. It was the perfect day for a flight, and a lone pilot youth would not to let it go by the wayside.

A small airplane soared through the skies along the coast. The plane was an old vintage biplane with a red fuselage, two gray main wings attached by a pair of poles on each side. The fuselage had a power station at the end with a twin-bladed propeller attached at the end. On both sides of the plane, the word "SONIC" was written in white with a stretched F-letter label that underlined the writing. The back of the plane had two small horizontal stabilizer wings and a vertical stabilizer fin. The plane had 3 wheels, 2 under the front of the plane and one underneath the empennage where the stabilizers were.

The plane had one seat in the cockpit for the pilot, and this certain pilot, understandably so, would draw a few odd glances. The pilot was a blue-furred anthropomorphic hedgehog with big green eyes, peach skin on his belly, arms, and muzzle, and a big black nose. He had a slightly stocky build, 6 short, spikey quills that protruded off his head, 2 off his back and a short tail. His wardrobe consisted of white gloves with sock-like cuffs at the wrists, white socks that cuffed and flowed into red sneakers with a white strap and golden yellow buckle to hold them.

"So far so good." The hedgehog spoke, his voice young and boyish, likely prepubescent, "There shouldn't be any issues if this keeps up."

The young hedgehog had much to learn, and a very important lesson about the temptation of fate was about to rear its head. Just as the plane started to fly over a park in the city, the engine sputtered and jolted. The failure had sent quakes and shakes through the fuselage of the plane. The cockpit started to rattle and the hedgehog soon could feel it.

"Ah?" The hedgehog questioned with his mouth agape, confusion etched on his face. He could feel the plane rumble more and smoke rose from the engine very dangerously. Fear dawned on his face, as he came to a dangerous realization, "This is bad! I lost control!"

As the plane started to make its final descent into the park, it spun and sputtered. The poor hedgehog was taken along for the ride, unable to control his own craft. It nearly took out a picnic table of 4 girls; one in a wheelchair too, as it spiraled out of control. The plane finally crashed several hundreds of meters into the woods. The impact caused the plane to topple and turn on its back.

"Everything's all… spinning…" The poor hedgehog barely managed to climb out the wreckage, but appeared to have suffered a concussion as he felt light-headed and woozy, "Whee~."

The hedgehog promptly lost consciousness as his head rested against the fuselage of the wrecked plane. The engine shut down, and with it the smoke started to die a bit. Thankfully, for onlookers, there was still a trail of smoke from the wreck that would be easy to follow from a distance.

* * *

 **[Park]  
-Several Minutes Earlier-  
[BGM: "Helen's Diner" Sonic X OST (Japanese)]**

The warm mid-morning sun served as a beautiful backdrop for a relaxing picnic. A small gathering of 4 humans and what appeared to be a large blue wolf seated themselves on a sizable blanket with baskets in between them. They would be a group one could likely pick out of a crowd for a few reasons, but the girl in the middle seemed to be the focus of this group's attention.

This young girl, about 9 years old, had brown hair and sky-blue eyes that radiated a gentleness, kindness. Her wardrobe consisted of a pink sweater, a red short skirt, brown leggings underneath that flowed into a light yellowish pair of socks and purplish shoes. What would draw attention to her the most would be the wheelchair she seated herself in. The girl sat back in her chair, a lovely smile on her cute face that radiated kindness and beauty. Her hair, cut short, had a bit of a flattened pixie cut and would have a x-shaped red ornament along with a yellow ornament shaped like two parallel stripes next to it. Her name was Yagami Hayate, she was the cute, kind-hearted orphan in the wheelchair.

Next to her was a seemingly younger girl named Vita. This girl was slightly shorter in height than Hayate and had red hair tied into two queues that trailed behind her head. She had purple eyes, but they gave off a slightly different vibe. Her attire consisted of a white t-shirt with a black skull label in the middle and a white and black striped long-sleeved shirt underneath, a large red belt at her waist, black flared out miniskirt and brown and black shoes. The girl was known as the "Knight of the Iron Hammer" for a reason that's yet to be seen.

Across from her was Signum, otherwise known as the "Knight of the Sword". This seemingly older woman was of taller height and had a fairly attractive figure, but the aura she gave off was one of command, leadership, the type one wouldn't want to mess with. She had light blue eyes and her hair seemed to have a natural color of magenta and was tied in a long ponytail that flowed down her back. Her wardrobe mainly consisted of a white collared shirt underneath a light purple sweater, dark purple pencil skirt, and purple leggings that flowed into high dark purple boots.

Next to her was the "Knight of the Lake" simply known as Shamal. She was slightly shorter than Signum and had pale blonde hair and purple eyes that radiated a soothing feeling. Her figure, like Signum's was fairly attractive, but her modest attire would do it little justice. She wore a dark blueish long-sleeved shirt with white cuffs and color, long white skirt that went slightly past her calf and long brownish boots.

The lone wolf of the group was known as Zafira and had the title of "Guardian Beast of the Shield". The wolf had naval-blue fur with a white mane that resembled that of a lion's. His eyes were red and he had a light blue gem embedded in his forehead. The wolf was silent, but his presence was notable, a "seen but not heard" sort of wolf.

The 3 knights, plus the wolf, made up the ensemble that is known as the "Wolkenritter", which translates to "Cloud Knights" in German. The Wolkenritter's mistress was the wheelchair-bound Hayate. They claim to serve as her guardians and protectors, but the young brunette really sees them as her family and treats them all with kindness and respect. The knights refer to her as their mistress because she held what was known as the "Book of Darkness", a powerful relic book known to have 666 pages, utilized for storage and the gathering of information.

The group gathered peacefully on a light blue and white mat with a checkerboard pattern. Baskets were laid out carefully, and everyone, including the wolf, Zafira, each had a plate for food.

"It sure is a nice day for a picnic" Hayate spoke with a noticeable kansai dialect, the young girl took in the fresh air with a big sigh, "Nice and peaceful."

"Meh, I guess," Vita said with a grumpy shrug, "The food tastes good, though."

"Thank you, Vita-chan!" the brunette chimed ever so happily. She was glad to have a family to cook and eat meals with.

Shamal and Signum both watched the exchange with a shared expression of content. Things were certainly calm and peaceful. For Signum, it gave her the chance to relax her muscles and block out the tension, if only for the time being.

As peaceful as things were though, the moment couldn't quite last forever. Suddenly, a large plane fell from the sky and spiraled randomly. Signum's eyes narrowed as she observed how much of the plane she could before she realized that it was heading right for their group!

 **[BGM stops]**

"Everyone, get down!" The magenta-haired knight called out in a hurry.

The others didn't need to be told twice as Vita tackled Hayate to the ground while Shamal, Signum and Zafira all dropped to the grass themselves. They kept as close to the ground as possible and braced for impact. Fortunately, the plane just missed buzzing them before it finally crashed several hundred meters out.

"Is everyone alright?" Signum questioned as she stood up and wiped the grass off her outfit.

"Yeah, Hayate and I are safe," Vita confirmed the safety of her mistress before she asked, quite bluntly, the first question on her mind, "What the hell was that?!"

"It looked like an aircraft or something." Shamal had a fair guess in her mind, but she wasn't quite certain of it to make a conclusion, "I can't be sure, I didn't get a good enough look at it."

"It was." Zafira confirmed with understandable confidence. The wolf gestured to the stream of smoke that rose above some of the trees in the park, "And it crashed over there."

"Should we investigate?" the magenta haired knight asked of her mistress.

"I think we should," Hayate said as she eased herself, with Vita's aid, back into her wheelchair. Everyone could see the look of concern on her face, "I'm worried someone might've gotten hurt in that crash."

Signum gave a voiceless confirmation to Hayate's request. Deep down, she was a bit touched by her mistress' concern for the wellbeing of others, even if her own was hampered. The group quickly disassembled the picnic blanket and basket and then headed off to track the smoke from the crash.

* * *

 **[Park: Crash Site]  
-Time: 12:15 pm  
[No BGM]**

The trail of smoke, which had started to fade, led Hayate and the Wolkenritter to a clearing in the woods, just shy of a small pond. They found what appeared to be the wreckage of a red vintage biplane. The plane was upside down and the wings were bent out of shape and the propeller lost one of the blades. Part of the red paint of the plane was dirtied up due to the landing in the dirt and twigs from the nearby trees were found caught in the wings.

A small blue hedgehog laid unconscious against the fuselage. He looked quite beat up from the impact of the crash. Bumps, bruises and scratches covered most of his form.

The Wolkenritter immediately started to look over the scene. Vita and Signum looked over the plane while Shamal, taking the role of the team medic, looked over the unconscious hedgehog.

"Whoa…" Hayate said, mouth agape in shock as she took in the scene, though it seemed like the hedgehog took most of her attention. Something about it seemed a bit off to her, but she couldn't quite place the thought.

"Yeesh, what a wreck" Vita said as she cautiously approached the wrecked plane, looking over the scene with a critical eye.

"The pilot must've fled after the crash." Signum added, noting the lack of any other humans in the vicinity other than themselves. She hadn't entertained the thought that the pilot of the plane might not have been so human.

"And left their pet hedgehog?" Vita gave the magenta-haired woman a bit of a weird look. Though she had to slightly retract that statement after a secondary look at the hedgehog in question, "Though he is a bit tall. And what's with the outfit?"

"Actually, I think the hedgehog might've been the one piloting the craft." Shamal interjected with her conjecture. She had reached after she briefly analyzed the hedgehog's body, "The injuries I'm seeing here can be consistent with a plane crash, and judging from the hands, it looked like it was gripping the controls of the craft."

"A hedgehog?" The iron knight stared back at the tall medic, "Piloting?! How does that even work?!"

"It's not impossible..." Hayate suddenly spoke up, the pieces lined up in her mind, and she looked at the hedgehog with some form of recognition, "I've read books about certain species of animals that have evolved to the point of anthropomorphism."

"Anthrop-wha?" Vita, a bit understandably so, tripped up over trying to pronounce that word.

"They gain characteristics that us humans can have like hands or feet and such." The brunette explained as she pointed to the hedgehog's hands and feet, "But even then, these are just extremely rare cases, and they've only been spotted in the South Island archipelago, which is several miles off the southern coast."

"Oh…" the redhead loli registered the explanation.

"Coincidentally," Hayate concluded her mini-lecture with a lasting tidbit of trivia, "Uminari City is the closest port town to the archipelago. There used to be a biweekly safari boat that would run between here and the islands, but they've had to suspend operations due to some current events."

"At any rate, what would you like us to do, Hayate-ojou-sama?" Signum inquired, while the lesson was quite informative, the knight couldn't help but notice that they were starting to linger a bit longer than necessary, "We could leave everything as it is and let the authorities investigate."

"No, I think we should take the hedgehog back home with us. The poor critter's gonna catch cold if it stays out here any longer." Hayate shook her head, taking another look at the unconscious hedgehog. Not only did she genuinely feel worried for his wellbeing, but there was something about the hedgehog. Something about him that seemed to call out to her, "And try to bring that plane back home too. I have a feeling that it's very important to him."

Though the knights were a bit confused, they knew better than to disobey a request from the master. Vita took charge of the hedgehog and hoisted him over her back. She and Hayate left the scene, leaving the rest of the knights to handle the downed biplane.

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Residential]  
[Yagami Residence]  
-Time: 14:55 zulu  
[No BGM]**

The hedgehog slowly started to join the conscious world once more. He felt a myriad of feelings before he could even open his eyes. He felt a bit of discomfort, likely from the few injuries from the crash, but he also felt warmth and softness, like from a bed or blanket. His vision went from dark to a blur as he started to open his eyes.

Once his vision cleared, the hedgehog was greeted to an unfamiliar sight of light beige walls of the room he was in. The warm and fuzzy feeling turned out to be a blanket and the bed that he apparently laid on. The hedgehog let out a soft groan as he sluggishly sat up in the bed. As he did, he was suddenly made aware that he was not alone.

"Oh, good, you're finally awake," A soft female voice greeted him. The voice belonged to a pale-blonde human girl. The voice seemed to convey a sense of kindness, "Don't try to strain yourself too much, you were unconscious for the last 2 ½ hours."

The hedgehog remained silent, but his body language seemed to tell a different story. The gloved hands gripped and clenched the blanket in a sign of nervousness. For whatever reason, he seemed cautious, hesitant. This was something new for the medic Shamal, new and something of concern as well.

"You don't have to worry, we won't hurt you," Shamal said in an attempt to ease the blue hedgehog's fears and nerves, "We pulled you from that plane crash."

The plane! The hedgehog's eyes widened in realization. He sent her a questioning look. His body language was still tense, but at least it wasn't as much as it was earlier.

"So that airplane really was yours." Shamal read the body language like a book, even though it wasn't particularly that difficult, "We moved it to the backyard after we brought you here."

"Ah…" The hedgehog finally uttered a syllable. His posture relaxed some in relief, and he smiled briefly to the woman, "Thank you"

"Ara~, so you can talk," Truthfully, Shamal wasn't surprised, but she figured that most regular humans would be surprised by seeing an animal talk, so she gave him the most "human" response, "Interesting…"

"Of course, I can talk," The blue hedgehog replied back with a bit of confusion, but it wasn't long before his youthful confidence was shown, "But, I can do more than that. You haven't seen anything yet."

"And I won't until you recover more," The medic spoke, with a tone that seemed to convey a certain feeling of authority that comes with the medical types. She turned towards the door to leave, "I'm going to get you some juice. Don't try to move around much."

"O-okay…" The blue hedgehog sat there. He didn't quite know why he followed the request, but he did. For whatever reason, he was also slightly unnerved of what would happen if he went against her request, "I'll just... wait here."

The blue hedgehog took a look around at his surroundings, since he finally had a moment to do so. The room he was in was a pretty normal sized room for a kid. The walls were a light beige and the floor a bit blue. The bed he woke up in was against the window, where he could feel the afternoon sun on his body. A bookshelf was against the wall on the opposite side of the bed and a desk was against the wall to his right.

It wasn't long before Shamal returned with a glass of juice, true to her word. She wasn't alone this time, however, as right after she entered, she was followed by Hayate, Vita, Signum and Zafira. Each of them, with the exception of Zafira, who seemed to care less, had different reactions to the blue guest. Hayate regarded him with a little bit of curiosity while Vita glared at him with suspicion and a bit of grumpiness mixed in as well. Signum took the medium between the two and regarded the guest with a sense of neutrality, something of the "wait and see" approach.

"How are you feeling?" Shamal asked the hedgehog as she gave him the juice glass she promised him.

"Pretty good," The hedgehog took the glass without delay, "Thanks."

"You're awake!" Hayate beamed cheerfully as she wheeled her chair a bit closer to the bed with a bit of a smile on her face, "I'm glad."

"Was I really out for that long…" The blue hedgehog rubbed his forehead in exasperation as he thought out loud, "How troublesome."

"Oy…" The grumpy Vita's glare at the blue hedgehog hardened as she approached closer than the brunette in the chair did, "We just saved your life, the least you could do is be thankful."

"Meh," the hedgehog shrugged in indifference to the little girl's gripe. Still, he did feel a bit grateful for the save, "Thanks, I guess."

"Brat…" the redhead's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"At any rate," Signum interjected neutrally between the growing argument, "What were you doing out there?"

"I was taking the Tornado out for a test flight," The blue hedgehog answered cooperatively, figuring that doing such would save him from a future headache and lecture, "I thought I had it completely restored, but it looks like I have more work to do."

"Indeed." The woman replied back, "Your aircraft nearly buzzed us before it crashed."

"Oh…" The hedgehog's eyes blinked rapidly and he looked at the others with a bit of a guilty expression, "Sorry."

"You should be, smarty." Vita smirked in a bit of arrogance, "If it weren't for us, you wouldn't even be here."

"You don't have to act so proud of that." The hedgehog glared back in annoyance, "Anyone else could've done that too."

"I think we're getting off on the wrong foot here; we should probably start over," Hayate got between the two this time, playing the sensible voice of reason, "Maybe we should introduce ourselves first, I'm Yagami Hayate."

"Vita," the redhead relented, but kept a fresh glare on the hedgehog

"Signum," The magenta haired woman spoke her name, straight and to the point.

"Shamal," The pale-blonde medic spoke next, her tone soft and polite.

"Zafira," Next came the wolf, his delivery was as indifferent as his expression.

"I'm Sonic," the hedgehog, now formally identified as Sonic, said with a smile, "Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Sonic, hmm…" Hayate let the name roll off her tongue for a bit, "That's a cool name. Oh! You can call me "Hayate" if you want. You seem friendly enough."

"Okay!" The hedgehog gave her a cute little thumbs-up gesture with his right hand, "You're not all bad either for a human."

"Oy, it seems less like a compliment when you word it like that," Vita's glared persisted on the blue hedgehog. The mistress may have taken a liking to the hedgehog, but that doesn't mean she should… yet.

"Sorry," Sonic shrugged in indifference, he honestly meant it as a compliment, "It's not like I've met too many friendly humans up until now."

"I think I can imagine that…" Hayate had a solid idea as to where this hedgehog came from, it was only a matter of confirming it, "You flew here from South Island, am I right?"

"That's right!" Sonic gave the brunette another thumbs up for her intelligence. He rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed bashfulness, "Except I planned to fly over the city and return to the island... that kinda failed."

"Your plane was totaled in the crash." Signum was blunt as she informed the hedgehog of the fate of his precious plane, "I don't think you'll be able to fly anywhere for now."

"So I guess I'm stuck here then," The hedgehog could've made the effort to sound a bit more concerned about his fate, but really it didn't seem like he could care, "Eh, I'm sure I'll work things out and get back eventually."

 **[BGM Insert: "Encounter with Chris" Sonic X OST (Japanese)]**

"Um…" Hayate spoke up once more, her demeanor was kind and sincere as she approached the hedgehog, "If you'd like. You can stay here with us. At least until you can fix up your plane."

The brunette's offer shocked just about everyone in the room, even Zafira. Everyone glanced at her with a curious (for Sonic) or concerned (for the wolkenritter) expression. Surely she didn't mean to offer hospitality to a complete stranger that they brought home with them just hours ago, even if the stranger didn't have any other place to go.

"Uh... are you sure about that?" Sonic felt like he should be the one to ask for some reason. Truthfully, he had started to think about her offer, but he had to be sure, "You hardly know me, you know…"

"Yeah, but I can tell from just looking at you that you're a nice guy," Hayate's expression was unwavering, she was dead serious about her offer, "And you don't have any other place to go, right? I can't just turn my back on someone in need."

' _What a kind girl…'_ Sonic thought to himself. His decision was made before he even realized it himself. The hedgehog gave the girl a cute smile and held out his hand for her to shake "Alright! I don't see why not. I think I'll crash here for the time being"

"Cool!" Hayate eagerly reached out and shook the gloved hand, "Welcome to our family!"

If the Wolkenritter had any arguments, none of them had considered saying it. Their mistress had made a new friend and it was rare for them to see her this happy. Once Hayate made up her mind about something, nothing they could say would change her mind. It was that kindness, that drive of hers that was what they liked about her.

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #1: Sonic]  
Name: Sonic the Hedgehog  
Katakana: ****ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ** **  
Age: 10  
Gender: Male  
Height: 75 cm  
Weight: 28 kg  
Color: Light-Blue  
System: None  
Device: None  
Rank: A (Ground)**

 **[Eyecatch #2 Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #2: Vita]  
Name: Vita  
Katakana: ****ヴィータ** **  
Age: Unknown (Presumably 8)  
Gender: Female  
Height: 115 cm  
Weight: 25 kg  
Color: Red  
System: Ancient Belka  
Device: Graf Eisen  
Rank: AAA+ (Air)**

* * *

 **-A few days later-  
[Yagami Residence]  
-Time: 7 pm-  
[No BGM]**

The next few days saw Sonic acclimate himself to the household of the Yagami family. For all of that initial tension from the first meeting, the Wolkenritter saw that the blue hedgehog was actually a pretty chill and swell guy. He stayed out of the way for the most part and spent a majority of the time either working on the "Tornado" or napping under the sun.

Despite his efforts on the plane, it seemed like the issues with the Tornado were too complicated to be solved so simply. As it turned out, the crash was a result of a massive power failure in the transmission after Sonic had installed a prototype piece of aftermarket equipment that he had found on South Island. The hedgehog wouldn't say what it was, and the Wolkenritter didn't seem like they cared. They spent several nights out of the house under the pretense of errands.

On one such night in the house, the Wolkenritter were out and about; Sonic was out back, looking at the specific piece of equipment while Hayate had started to cook dinner. The brunette was slightly worried, though, for Shamal and the others. She tried to reach them individually by phone, but all of her attempts had failed as each time she reached the answering machines of their cell phones. The girl grew more concerned with each failed attempt and it finally reached a breaking point.

"Um, Sonic?" Hayate called out to her new friend as she approached him, "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, Hayate," Sonic turned around and immediately took notice of the concerned brunette's face, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm worried about Vita-chan and the others. They haven't picked up their phones for the past hour and dinner is almost done." The brunette explained the trouble with a downcast look on her face, "I don't mean to trouble you, but…"

"You want me to find them?" The hedgehog asked.

"Yeah, they probably got lost in the city, but I just want to know that they're safe." Hayate nodded, she held her hand close to her heart, "They mean so much to me…"

"Don't worry," Sonic patted her kindly and flashed her a fanged smile to show his sincerity, "I'll go look for them."

"You will?" the wheelchair-bound girl's spirits were raised briefly, she asked again just to make sure.

"My legs have been aching for a good run for a few days anyways." The blue hedgehog glanced back at the machine and quickly pushed a series of buttons, "But first, let's see if this little thing works."

"What does it do?" The girl glanced at the machine in curiosity, but all she got from the hedgehog was a shrug and ominous silence.

The machine in question looked like a dispenser of something. It was about as small as a toolbox in size, which enabled it to be fitted in the Tornado, but Sonic had taken it out before he started to work on the plane. It appeared to be operated by a keypad and a small display screen. The machine spurred to life and started to shake and rattle. The dispenser unit soon gave off a yellowish glow.

"All right! I like that sound!" Sonic held out his hand in anticipation with an excited grin on his face.

He was not disappointed as the machine shot out what appeared to be a small golden ring. The ring was small enough to just fit in Sonic's palm, and it would give off a bright glow, as if it just radiated power. The hedgehog grinned as he twirled the ring on his finger.

"A ring?" Hayate tilted her head in complete confusion, "What does it do?"

"Just a little something I try to never leave home without. You never know when you'll find trouble," The hedgehog quickly jumped to the top of the small wall in the backyard, "We'll, I'll be going now!"

"Be care…" The poor girl never could finish that sentence as the blue hedgehog immediately took off at high speeds, "W-what speed…"

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Shopping district]  
-Time: 7:10 pm-**

For the first time since he came to the city, Sonic was finally able to stretch his legs and run. Even though he had a mission to complete, the hedgehog couldn't pass up this chance to run like he wanted to. He zoomed through streets to start, but then moved up to the rooftops when his trek had taken him through more congested streets. Despite his fun, his search so far had produced no results, which troubled him.

' _Even though I said that to her…'_ Sonic thought to himself in reference to what he told Hayate earlier, _'I really have no idea where to look.'_

The hedgehog was far from lost, however, as he was able to perfectly retrace his steps if he needed to. For someone of his speed, it was a simple must. That being said, all of that speed wouldn't be put to much use if he didn't have any leads to go off of. Suddenly, something caught his eye from the distance and he had to skid to a stop.

From his vantage point on top of a roof, the hedgehog saw what looked to be a slight discoloration that took the shape of a weird dome in the distance. It was only because the hedgehog was on the roof of a building that he was able to notice it too, otherwise he would've missed it. The dome's reach extended to almost a quarter of the whole city, and it gave off an ominous feeling.

' _Well that's not something you see every day! I think I better steer clear of that.'_ The hedgehog thought to himself as he rested his hand on his hip and glanced at that ominous barrier. Something about it gave him a foreboding, troubling feeling, and he wasn't quite fond of the train of thought it led him too, _'Even so, I'll bet my lone ring that that's exactly where I need to be._

' _Alright!'_ The hedgehog snapped his finger and grinned. His mind was made up, and he was actually getting a bit excited, _'Let's see what we have here!'_

The hedgehog suddenly leaped up into the air and curled up into a round, blue spikey ball. He then began to roll at a high speed and nearly soared through the air at an even quicker speed in the direction of the dome. He was blissfully unaware that someone had started to shadow him and follow him through the dome.

* * *

 **[Inside the Dome]  
-Time: 7:15 pm *-  
[No BGM]**

Breaking through the dome was a piece of cake for the hedgehog as his trademarked spin attack could break through nearly any substance. The real challenge presented to the hedgehog was if he could stop before he hit a building. Fortunately, with his high speed, his reflexes were top notch as well and he was able to slow down and uncurl himself just in time to land on a rooftop within the domed area. It took less than a second for him to get his bearings and take a look at the area within.

True to his hunch, the hedgehog was able to spot Vita, Signum and Zafira not too far away, but they all looked different. In addition to a change of attire, Sonic noted that Vita and Signum were wielding weapons and they both seemed to be locked in combat with another person in the barrier.

Vita's Knight Clothing mainly consisted of a deep red Gothic Lolita dress with thick, puffed shoulders, yellow and pink bows, and black frills along the corset and hem of her dress. She wore plated boots on her feet and black full-fingered gloves with jagged frills. Her hat, which she appeared to treasure greatly was a big red beret with yellow crosses and little cute ornaments that looked like bunnies attached to it. Her weapon of choice, the Armed Device "Graf Eisen", took the form of a polo mallet with a jagged point at the end of the main stick. Something about that hammer seemed to unnerve the hedgehog for some reason.

Vita's opponent, Nanoha Takamachi, was a young human girl with light orangish-brown hair and deep purplish-blue eyes. The girl had short hair tied up in twin pigtails by white ties. Her Barrier Jacket attire was a white and blue dress-like uniform that appeared to use a school uniform as a basis with a few mechanical attachments. A yellow clasp with a red gem in the middle fastened the collar of her uniform top. The shoulders of her top were quite poofy and big, and had long sleeves which led to blue and yellow trimmed bracers with a red gem in the middle on the outside. Her gloves were thin, black and half-fingered, allowing visibility of her small fingers. Her weapon, the Intelligent Device given the name "Raising Heart Exelion", took the form of a long staff with a large red gem contained within a ¾ golden-yellow circle at the end and what appeared to be a yellow machine-gun clip attached right before the headpiece.

Signum's wardrobe had also changed to her Knight Clothing. The outfit consisted of a purple plated battledress with a focus on mobility. She had a white short sleeved jacket over a purplish mesh that covered her arms. Large silverish purple armplates were worn on her wrists and her gloves were thin and ¾ fingered. Attached to her waist was a metallic belt and plates that also covered a white and purple trimmed waist cape that left her bare legs exposed. The woman's weapon of choice, an Armed Device named "Laevatein", was a single edged sword with a convex bevel.

Signum's opponent was Fate Testarossa, another seemingly young human female with bright yellowish hair and deep red eyes. The girl's hair was similarly fastened into long twin tails by a set of black ribbon like ties. Her Barrier Jacket resembled a black swimsuit with a pink short skirt that was attached by two brown belts that intersected in an x-like pattern. Her legs had thigh-high stockings that flowed right into silver plated boots that had a yellow triangle like gem engraved, pointing forward. Her arms were mostly left bare aside from a small red belt just above her left elbow and her gloves were full-fingered and clung to her skin. She wore long silver armplates on her wrist and a long black cloak with a purplish red underside. Her weapon of choice, Intelligent Device "Bardiche Assault" resembled a bardiche axe with a rounded blade and several long and curved spikes on the opposite side, a revolver was attached just below the head.

Zafira's form had changed to a tall male human with a muscular body, but there was no mistaking the hair, ears or tail that were left from his wolf form. The man's Knight Clothing was what appeared to be a martial arts style qipao uniform with no sleeves, a yellow chain dangling off the waist and 2 reddish belts that sit on his waist. The tall man wore light white-silver plated boots and matching gloves. Unlike the others, he didn't appear to have a weapon.

Alph(Or Arf), Zafira's opponent, appeared to be a tall human female with light blue eyes, long bright orange hair that appeared to naturally set like twin tails, wolf-like ears and a long tail as well, similar to her counterpart. Her Barrier Jacket was a skimpy white top that bore a good helping of her healthy deep cleavage and also bore her midriff, pink short shorts with two black capes, one at her shoulders, the other at her waist. She wore a set long of stockings and armor-plated boots that went up to her knee. Lastly, she wore elbow length plated fingerless gauntlets. Like Zafira, she appeared to fight with her fists and close combat skills.

Lastly, Shamal appeared to stand on a rooftop not too far away from the hedgehog's position. Like the others, she too had changed to her Knight Clothing. The attire consisted of a white and green dress with a green waist-attached cape and metal plates on the side. She wore a light green jacket with long thick sleeves that ended just at her wrist. In addition, she also wore a green medic-type hat ontop of her head. While she had an Armed Device named "Klarwind" it didn't take the form of a weapon, instead it appeared as four rings on the woman's fingers.

' _Bingo!'_ Sonic thought to himself as he analyzed the situation as best as he could from his outsider's point of view. The Wolkenritter's opponents all seemed to be on the same side and knew each other if body language was of any indication. He could see Shamal off to the side, looking a bit concerned for the wellbeing of her comrades.

From what Sonic could see of the battles, Vita and Nanoha appeared to have been shooting of bullets of energy at one another. Vita would hit metallic bolts at her opponent while Nanoha countered with a pink beam-like blast. The mallet that Vita held occasionally switched modes to a missile-hammer and the redhead charged her foe and would use the momentum to make a powerful swing.

Signum and Fate's battle was more melee oriented. Sword and axe clashed together several times and the speeds they were flying at, while the hedgehog could go much faster, were still great. The weapon changing seemed to be a recurring thing for the battles as Signum's blade often changed to a bladed whip while Fate's changed between an axe and an energy scythe.

The only "normal" battle that went on were with Zafira and Alph. The two wolf-humans traded melee blows with their fists or feet. The only thing of note were the barriers that both combatants would throw out in defense.

' _Looks like I'm missing out on some fun.'_ The hedgehog thought to himself with a smirk in excitement as he continued to analyze the fights. He wasn't about to rush head first into the situation though. Neither side appeared to have notice him yet, or so he thought.

The hedgehog was so absorbed in his thoughts, he didn't realize that another party had snuck up on him and was about to take him by surprise. It was only his lightning fast reflexes and a flicker of blue in his peripheral vision that had him able to jump and avoid what appeared to be a series of chains that had sprouted from his previous position.

The party that tried to take the hedgehog by surprise were two identical twin males with dark blue hair. They both wore matching white and navy-blue uniforms and suspicious matching masks that covered their faces.

"Whoa now! Talk about the close shaves!" The hedgehog, with wit as quick as his feet, snarked them out, "And stranger danger much! Matching outfits, weird masks, oh those aren't suspicious at all!"

"You sure have quite the mouth," One of the twins fired back in a deep male voice.

"And you're quite the slippery one," The other added with a neutral tone that masked some genuine surprise, "I don't know how you managed to avoid that, but you won't be able to avoid the next one."

"Hehe," Sonic chuckled in a half-cocky, half somewhat curious tone, "Aren't you confident?"

"Why shouldn't we be?" the first twin asked as it analyzed the blue hedgehog opponent before him, "Your power is only registering at "A" rank, and we've faced tougher than that."

"Why don't you give up now? We have a clear advantage over you in both skill and power," The other twin asked with a proper tone, "If you let yourself be absorbed into the Book of Darkness, we won't have to hurt you. Your type of power should be just enough to take out this barrier."

"Me? Give up? You obviously don't know who I am," Sonic's cocky attitude was on full display now as he outright dismissed the offer without so much of a second inkling of a thought, "Though to be fair, I'm not from around here, so I can't blame you."

The commotion had grown to draw the attention of the nearby medic, Shamal. She was, understandably so, completely surprised to see Sonic there

' _Isn't that… Sonic?!'_ The young woman gasped in shock as her fears were confirmed. Her fears grew as she noticed the hostility that the twins gave off, and from her point of view, it didn't seem like it was going to end well. Swiftly, she reached out to the other Wolkenritter via telepahty, _"Vita-chan, Signum, Zafira, look over there!"_

" _What is it?"_ The grumpy gothic Lolita was the first to pause from her current attack to look in the pointed direction from the medic knight. She felt her eyes twitch a bit in annoyance, _"Sonic?! What the hell is that blue thing doing here? This isn't the best place for him."_

" _The mistress must have sent him out here in concern."_ Zafira commented telepathically as he deflected a kick from his counterpart, _"Signum, should we engage?"_

" _Negative, we have our own problems to deal with right now,"_ Signum replied back in a commanding tone, _"We need to focus on our battles at hand. Shamal, I want you to observe him for now, but be ready to aid him if he gets into too much trouble."_

" _Okay!"_ Shamal confirmed the order without a second thought. It wasn't exactly a hard order to argue with, the blue hedgehog had been a lovely addition to their little family, and Hayate seemed to be happier with him around, she felt he deserved that much.

The knight of the Lake began to divert her attention from finding a way to shut down the barrier to observing Sonic's encounter with these mysterious twins. She wasn't alone in this though, as another newcomer had entered the fray.

The latest newcomer, who had touched down on a rooftop close to Shamal, was Chrono Harlaown, a human boy in his mid-teens with silverish blue eyes and short dark purplish-blue hair. His Barriet Jacket was a black and silver long overcoat with spikes on the arms and silverish gauntlets. His Storage Device, S2U, took the form of a simple staff. The human teen looked at the developing scene with a neutral expression.

' _Another bothersome interruption? As if things weren't complicated enough'_ Chrono thought to himself as he analyzed the growing encounter, _'Still, I can't interfere yet. I don't know who's on which side.'_

* * *

 **-Battle: Sonic vs Masked Men-  
[BGM: "Sonic's Fight" Sonic X OST]**

Undeterred from the sudden amount of attention they were getting, Sonic and the masked twins stared down one another. The blue hedgehog had an unending amount of confidence, while the twins, whose faces could not be read, had mirrored such emotion in their relaxed body language.

"Hehe, I haven't had this type of fun for a while now…" The hedgehog's demeanor was relaxed and confident as he twirled a golden yellow ring on his gloved finger. A bit, fanged smirk was on his face, "I don't feel like playing around with you creeps too much, so I think I'll use this and show you just how much I mean business."

Without warning, Sonic gripped the ring in a clenched fist and it started to glow. Suddenly, a huge, explosive burst of power enveloped the hedgehog's form. The power was so grand, it set off alarms from all of the devices belonging to the combatants within the dome. Every battle was halted and each fighter couldn't help but find their eyes drawn to the explosive light on the rooftop.

" _ **Alert! A massive spike of power has been detected!"**_ Raising Heart Exelion informed her master in a female robotic voice. The other devices had done the same to their respective masters as well. But only Bardiche and S2U had spoken in English while the Wolkenritter's spoke German.

" _ **Sir! The power has surged to an estimation of "S-"."**_ Bardiche Assault added in a neutral, robotic voice, _**"Caution is advised!"**_

"I-impossible!" One of the twins exclaimed in shock and a healthy amount of understandable fear, "Such power…"

The bright light soon faded to reveal Sonic with a powerful, potent light-blue aura that radiated off his body. He smirked as he could feel the power flowing through him. If it was possible, the hedgehog's grin turned almost sinister as he stared down the twins with no shortage of confidence.

"All right!" The hedgehog spoke, his tone unchanged, despite the burst of power he felt "It's show time!"

Without warning, the hedgehog leapt up into the sky curled up into his ball form and spun at high speeds. He then dove for the masked twins with speed so fast, that he shattered the sound barrier like it was paper! The resounding shockwaves shook everyone from where they stood. It was only the hedgehog's aerial distance that kept any property from being damaged.

"A Sonic Boom!" Nanoha had instantly realized what feat the blue blur had accomplished, "No way!"

"Sonic what?" Vita shot a weird look at her rival, "Oy, Takamachi Nan-nyo-ha! Do you know what the heck's going on?"

"It's Nanoha! Na-No-Ha!" The brunette shot back with a hilariously comical, yet cute, look on her face. She was able to quickly recover and explain what's going on, "As I was saying… a Sonic Boom is a shockwave that is generated when an object, normally a jet plane, surpasses the speed of sound."

"Wh-what is this power?!" Both twins experienced a healthy amount of shock given their situation. The blue blur was about to slam into them with such force, and there was nothing they could do to stop him!

Sure enough, the blue hedgehog slammed into the first twin with enough force and power to pound him to the ground. Not only that, but the hedgehog had enough momentum to bounce off of him and barrel straight through the other twin with enough force to slam him into the ground as well before he took to the skies again. The twins laid there, motionless for a moment before their forms lit up with magic and changed.

The result of the magical transformation had shocked Chrono with familiarity. Twin female humans, both with brownish hair and matching cat ears and tails. The only difference between the two was that one had longer hair than the other. Both twins slowly struggled to get up.

' _Lotte and Aria Liese!'_ Chrono immediately identified them in shock, _'What are they doing here?!'_

"W-wha..." the shorter haired twin, Lotte gulped as she slowly stood on weak legs. She, for some reason, was shocked by her own voice, "Sister! Our disguises broke!"

"We have more important things to worry about!" The longer haired twin, Aria, pointed up to the hedgehog in the sky, who appeared to dive in and take another pass, "He's coming around again!"

The twin's words were confirmed as Sonic, still within his Super Spin state, charged at the twins again in hypersonic speeds! In their weakened state, there was nothing they could to do stop him other than futilely brace for impact. Much like before, the merciless ball slammed into them both with enough force to drill them to a devastating impact with the ground. The concussive force alone was enough to send them both into unconsciousness while their bodies were broken.

The hedgehog swiftly uncurled from his ball form and landed on the same rooftop. For all of that power and speed, he didn't even look like he was winded from the attack and he still had enough power for at least another strike. He sent the unconscious duo a glance and a cocky smirk.

' _Well, those two were all talk, but that still leaves this dome thing to take care of.'_ He thought to himself as he looked upward at the discolored dome, _'I should have just enough ring energy left to take it out.'_

Before Sonic could do anything though regarding it, he was immediately surrounded. Chrono and the three that had fought the Wolkenritter previously had landed on the rooftop and encircled him. All of them looked at the hedgehog with various degrees of concern, some more than others. Strangely, it was Nanoha who had the most amount of concern for some reason.

"You are interfering with official business" Chrono stated in a formal tone. Apparently, he was the one who had taken charge of the group, "Identify yourself and surrender willingly, otherwise you will leave us no choice but to take you in by force."

" _Signum!"_ Shamal called out to the swordswoman of the Wolkenritter, _"The Bureau has Sonic trapped! What should we do?"_

" _Wait"_ the older woman replied stoically as she observed the situation, _"Let's see what he can do."_

"Sorry, but I'm just passing through." Sonic answered coolly; unfazed by the four to one numbers that started to surround him. He could feel the power of his ring start to fade, but it would likely still last him enough to break through the field if he didn't waste time on these new obstacles, "I'll play with you some other time."

Without warning, the hedgehog leapt up high into the sky and rolled into his spin form. His speed was on display once more as he launched off for the barrier faster than anyone could track. In no time, he slammed into the barrier and broke through it with enough force to shatter it completely. The mix of speed and power astounded both the Wolkenritter and the ones on the rooftop. The knights weren't about to let the opportunity to go to waste either.

" _The force field is down!"_ Signum called out to Shamal, Zafira and Vita, _"Now's our chance to escape! Everyone pull out!"_

" _What about the blue thing!"_ Vita asked, in reference to Sonic.

" _It's because of him that we're able to escape, we can't let this opportunity go to waste."_ The general with the sword responded back, _"We have no time."_

Reluctantly, Vita agreed to the order as she and the other Wolkenritter used the havoc caused by the hedgehog to warp out of the area. There was naught a trace of them nor the hedgehog left, aside from the damage Sonic had caused in his wake.

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Residential District]  
[Yagami Residence]  
-Time: 7:20 pm-  
[No BGM]**

The Wolkenritter, their Knight Clothing replaced by the civil outfits they had worn previously, had appeared in front of their Mistress's house. All of them couldn't help but still feel shocked over what their new houseguest was capable of. Shamal was more shocked than the others, while Vita and Signum were both suspicious.

"What the hell was that all about?!" Vita said out loud, almost shouting even, "That was incredible…"

"Indeed, that hedgehog has a lot to answer for," Signum echoed Zafira's thoughts vocally, "Wherever he is."

"I hope he got out of there okay." Shamal said, her tone filled with understandable concern for the little guy.

"I'm up here," a familiar voice to the four drew their glances up to the roof of their mistress's house. Standing there, with his arms folded across his chest, was Sonic the Hedgehog himself. His tone was as neutral and calm as he was as he addressed them, "You're late! You get lost on the way back here?"

"Oy, don't talk as if none of that just happened!" Vita growled at him in restrained annoyance. Her normal glare was not only present, but it was more prominent as well, "You have a lot of explaining to do"

"Meh, don't feel like it right now." The hedgehog shrugged, unfettered by the seemingly hostile tone, "I'm hungry, and Hayate's inside waiting for us."

"Why, you little brat…" it was only the interference of Signum, acting as the voice of reason here, that kept the grumpy Vita from jumping on him at that point.

"Enough, Vita." The woman ordered as she had a firm grip on the kid knight's shoulder, "We won't get anything out of him tonight. And he's right, our mistress is probably worried about us. Let's leave everything as is for now before her worries turn to suspicion."

Even though Vita was calmed down, her suspicions for the hedgehog were still fresh on her mind. She would get the hedgehog to explain himself if it was the last thing she did. She had a feeling that Signum, while she stopped her this time, also agreed with her as well. Their safe and apparent unharmed return brought relief to Hayate, and with the quick help of Sonic, the Wolkenritter were able to convince her that they simply got lost and that Sonic was able to lead them back. The city was quite big after all.

While the night ended without further issue, it left behind a multitude of unanswered questions for Sonic and the Wolkenritter. For the Wolkenritter, they needed to know what power Sonic had just used and how he was able to shatter the force field they were confined to. As for Sonic, he needed to know just what he faced out there, what the "Book of Darkness" was and what the Wolkenritter had to do with it, not to mention all of the light shows and magic from the fights he saw.

What could come of all of this, no one knows. The night had ended, but the story had just begun. This likely wasn't the last time Sonic would see magic, and he was unsure of what the future would bring. But the adventure has just started, and it wasn't something Sonic would miss for the world.

* * *

 **[Ending Theme: "Mi-Ra-I" Run & Gun, Sonic X OST]**

Sonic, Hayate and Vita are featured in front of the TV in the living room, the former was the only one awake as his head rested against the desk. The blue hedgehog watched as scenes from the chapter above were seen on the television, though he appeared a bit uninterested.  
 **Tabidatsu junbi wa dekita kai ?** _("Are you ready to go on a new journey?")_ **  
Mata hitotsu asa ga kuru** _("A new morning has just arrived")_ **  
Atarashii shatsu ni kigaete kurayami wo nukedasou** _("Change into a new shirt and escape the night")_ **  
Nemuranai machi ga kyou mo shizuka ni tada mimamotteiru** _("The sleepless city quietly watches over you again today")  
_ **Kimi to boku ga hajimatteyuku!** _("What you and I will begin to start")_

 **to be shine, to be free  
Tomadowanai de **_("Don't be bewildered")_ **  
Toki no nami wa tsuyoku yasahii** _("The waves of time are strong and kind")_ **  
Sugu ni sugu ni kimi wo mukae ni yuku** _("Soon, so soon, I will go out to meet you!")_

 **Kimi to boku no sekai wo terasou** _("Let's light up the world together")_

Sonic idly tosses the remote over the table, but it is caught as the lights in the living room turn on. The hedgehog, completely confused, looks around, and then he is dropped rather unceremoniously and humorously on the couch by a woman with silver hair and a well-endowed figure.  
 **to be shine, to be free  
Kowagaranai de **_("Don't be afraid")_ **  
Toki no nami wa tsuyoku yasahii** _("The waves of time are strong and kind")_

Sonic looked up at the person in confusion and she points to a poster on the wall which read, "When watching anime, please make sure the room is well lit and do not sit too close to the screen." Seeing that, the hedgehog gained a cute little guilty look on his face and he smiled cheekily at the camera view.  
 **Haruka tooi michi no mukou gawa e** _("To the other side of the road far off")_ **  
Sugu ni sugu ni kimi wo mukae ni yuku** _("Soon, so soon, I will go out to meet you")_ **  
Kimi to boku no mirai mitsukeyou ze** _("Let's go and find the future together!")_

* * *

 **[End of Chapter 1]**

Author's Note's: It has been.. like 3 years since I last wrote a chapter for a fanfic, and what a way to comeback this was! I'll be honest, I'm still unsure as to how well this will go, but I'm holding my breath and hoping for the best. I ewill now start explaining a few things that happen in the chapter

For starters, the little asterisk on the time means that the current time in that area has been "warped" per se.. secondly… Sonic here, in one fight, just threw the whole Nanoha A's arc into a complete tailspin. In the anime, the Lieze Twins had their own motives for completing the book and were using the Wolkenritter in doing such. With Sonic's interference, however, the twins are taken out of commission and will no longer factor in this story. Now as for the ring Sonic used… Think of it as how the rings were used in the Sonic X anime. They temporarily gave Sonic a boost of power and made his spin-attack nigh unstoppable, but unlike his SATAM counterpart, he will not need rings in order to spin or to break the sound barrier.. They will serve to give him a bit of a boost, kinda like, for the Nanoha side of the fanbase, the Cartridge System, which I will explain in later chapters.

Lastly I will point out that if I miss some element from either side, you can find information on that element online, as each series has their own wikia.. Stay tuned folks!


	2. Chapter 2

SonicANIME2010 here again, bringing in chapter 2 of my new story. I'm sure there are plenty of unanswered questions from the previous chapter, they could be answered today, but the question is do those answers bring up more questions... one can only wonder.

Usual disclaimer is usual: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any characters or story elements from the series, they belong to SEGA. Same goes for Lyrical Nanoha characters or elements, they belong to Seven Arcs. I also do not stand to make any money off of this thing.

 _-Previously on Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky-_

" _I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic introduced himself before the narration began, "I had just finished restoring the "Tornado" and, to celebrate, I took the old thing out for a test flight from South Island to the City. Things didn't go as planned though, and I ended up crashing in the park."_

" _That's where we found him," Hayate took over, "My name is Yagami Hayate. We found Sonic unconscious next to the crashed plane. I couldn't just leave him there where he could get hurt further so we took him home."_

" _That's where I woke up… "Sonic took over for her, "She offered to let me stay with her and her... "family" at least until I could get the plane repaired. I had a feeling it was going to be a long-term thing, but it wasn't like I had any other options."_

" _Then one night, I tried to contact Vita-chan and the others and see where they were, but I couldn't reach them." Hayate took over for the last time, "I got concerned that they could've gotten lost or something, so I asked Sonic to go out there and find them."_

" _We weren't lost" This time it was Vita who began the narration, "Oh, I'm Vita… Anyways! Our enemies had us trapped in some force field thing, and we had to fight our way out."_

" _Our progress was less than satisfactory." Signum's voice took over, "Signum… Our enemies had upgraded their magic since last time, and we appeared to be in an inescapable bind…."_

" _That was at least until Sonic-san showed up out of nowhere!" Shamal took over for Signum, "I'm Shamal. Sonic just showed up out of nowhere, and was almost immediately ambushed by a pair of mysterious masked men."_

" _Those guys... or girls, were going on about how I was going to be a sacrifice for this Book thing" Sonic took over, "Whatever it was, I certainly wasn't about to let the creepies have their way."_

" _The blue thing suddenly powered up!" Vita exclaimed from her point of view, "Then he turned into this ball thing and wrecked the crap out of them! No really, he did!"_

" _His power surprised us all…" Signum took over for one last time, "He then took out the containment field that we were trapped in."_

" _We were able to escape, but that blue boy has a lot to answer for!" Vita narrated from the last time, "Such as how the hell he was able to do all of that, and what is he capable of."_

" _Signum and the others are a bit suspicious of him." Shamal narrate for her last time as well, "I hope they don't do anything drastic."_

" _This is shaping up to be one heck of an adventure from the start" Sonic was the last to provide a narration, "Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky is about to begin."_

* * *

 **[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Mizuki Nana, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's OST]**

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 2  
The Promise & Christmas Eve (Part 1)**

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Residential District]  
[Yagami Residence]  
-time: 8:50 am-  
[No BGM]**

The Crimson Iron Rider, Vita, was a young girl of many talents, but patience was not one of them. Immediately after breakfast concluded, dishes were done, and Hayate went out for some grocery shopping, the little redhead made her move. In the backyard of the house, she glared daggers into the calm hedgehog's head. Sonic, for his part, calmly laid on the roof, simply content to watch the clouds in the sky.

"Oy, hedgehog!" The grumpy redhead glared at him, which at this point, was a normal thing for the girl. Vita wanted answers from the hedgehog, and she wasn't going to let him get off the hook, "You have a lot to answer for from last night, so start talking!"

"So noisy…" Sonic looked at Vita with a half eye-lidded deadpan expression. The blue hedgehog seemed to consider her order for all of five seconds before he made his decision, "I don't feel like it right now, ask me later."

"Tell me!"

"No way~"

"Tell me!"

"No way~"

"You will tell me!"

"No, I won't!"

"Yes, you will!"

"No, I won't!" at some point during the conversation, Signum had approached. She seemed somewhat curious about the humorous exchange between her comrade and their houseguest

"Yes, you will!"

"Yes, I will!" The hedgehog quickly replied with no change in his tone or delivery, though Signum could've swore that she saw his eyebrows waggle for a brief moment. She only hoped that the Iron Rider didn't fall for the psychological trick.

"No, you won't and that's final!" Sure enough, Vita did and sealed her own defeat in the humorous argument.

"Have it your way~!" Sonic leapt off the roof with a cheeky grin of his easy victory. He walked past both of the two, undeterred, and went inside.

"Ah…" Vita could only stare ahead, speechless, "What just…"

"He tricked you," Signum stated the obvious, even she couldn't hide the humor from her tone, "He played you with reverse psychology. You were so bent on arguing with him that you didn't realize that he did that."

"Eh… whatever," the loli shrugged a bit grumpily, "Still, he wasn't cooperating with me."

"That's because you tried to force it out of him." The older, wiser woman noted with a neutral tone, "Let me handle it from here. The last thing we want to happen is for you two to clash in a more violent way."

"I suppose you're right." The girl started to head inside again, "I'll be in my room."

 **[Living Room]  
[No BGM]**

Sonic let out a loud yawn as he leapt onto the couch and kicked up his feet lazily on the coffee table. Truthfully, he wasn't all that bothered by Vita's interrogation attempt, the resulting exchange was humorous to say the least. Signum calmly sat down next to him with a stoic, unreadable expression on her face.

"I think I told Vita just a few minutes ago that I didn't feel like talking," The hedgehog regarded the woman with a bit of an odd glance. He had a feeling as to what Signum's motives were, but he had to make sure.

"I'm aware." Signum slid something between herself and Sonic, "I would ask that you look at this."

The object in reference appeared to be a large brown hardcover book. The cover of the book had an odd emblem of a large cross in front of a circle in the middle and a matching trim. On the spine of the book, the same odd emblem was featured.

"What is it?" Sonic asked, somewhat curious. The book had given off something of an ominous aura.

"The source of Hayate-ojou-sama's pain, the reason why we were fighting last night," The woman had an internal struggle to keep her stoicism up; it wasn't easy for her, "This is the Book of Darkness."

"That name is familiar," The blue hedgehog thought out loud as he took the book in his hand to look at it up close. His memory suddenly had a flashback to his battle with the masked twins last night, "Oh yeah! Those creepy guy, girl twins were saying I was going to be a tribute to it."

"They must have intended for the Book to absorb your Linker Core." Signum's stoic expression almost faltered in a brief hint of anger, "The Book of Darkness is able to absorb the Linker Cores of other beings. In fact, it has to in order to be able to store magical information as pages."

"Linker Core?" Sonic, understandably so, was a bit curious at the new term, "What is that?"

"It's an organ that works to link and manifest magical energy within you." Shamal answered that question as she walked in. The medic had carried a tray with a few glasses and a pitcher of tea with her and set it down as she sat on the other side of the hedgehog, "Everyone has one."

"Magic…" the hedgehog pondered the term for a moment, unsurprised, and more curious than anything, "You mean for spells and that stuff that you see in anime these days?"

"You're catching on quite quick, Sonic-kun. It's similar, but different. Our magic is more combat-based than what you're probably used to seeing on TV," The pale-blonde medic patted the hedgehog on the forehead as something akin to recognition for his intelligence, "Although it's not wholly based on combat; we moved your airplane to the backyard with my 'Mirror of Travels' spell."

"And the masked individuals you fought last night had used magic to disguise themselves." Signum added in reference to the twins that had attacked Sonic, "For whatever reason…"

"I think it was to hide from the Bureau. The Enforcer seemed to recognize them." Shamal added, basing her thoughts off of the reactions from the enforcer male when the twins' disguise had dropped, "They seemed tough too. It's amazing how you were able to beat them like that. You have a lot of potential there, Sonic-kun. If you'd like, we could train you in our magic."

"No thank you~!" Sonic shook his head in decline; his decision was likely already made, but he felt it a bit polite to let Shamal finish what she was saying before he gave his answer, "No offense to you guys, but I prefer to do my own thing."

"I see, that's fair. You proved last night that your style can be quite effective. We don't need to bring you out of that comfort zone," Shamal seemed to have anticipated her answer as she was hardly surprised, "Speaking of which, would you mind telling us about last night?"

"I don't see why not anymore," The hedgehog shrugged in response. Signum and Shamal had given him some of the answers that he was curious about, so he figured there was little harm in telling, "I've got pretty long story."

"Just the pertinent details from last night's events will do." Signum requested formally; while she would be lying if she wasn't a bit curious about the story, she knew that it could wait, "Specifically, what was that power you used?"

"Well, if you read any books on hedgehogs, you would know that we have the natural ability to curl up into a ball for defense." Sonic started his explanation with a little bit of exposition regarding his animal species' natural ability, "I just happen to have the ability to add a little 'spin' to it."

"And your speed?" the swordswoman inquired, "Where did that come from?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I've had it for as long as I could remember. Maybe I was born with it," Sonic answered with an honest shrug, "Lucky me, huh?"

"Probably, and it makes sense that some of your power came from that speed." Shamal added; though she swiftly realized that there was another question to answer, "That still leaves the power boost unanswered."

"That was the result of a ring," the blue hedgehog answered slowly with an awkward scratch of his head quills, "Those are kind of complex."

Signum's sharp look showed that she was not deterred and Sonic couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved. As best as he could, he started to explain. The rings were mysterious objects from his islands that would grant an immense amount of power to the user for either a set duration or until the energy was burned off. Sonic wasn't sure how the rings were made, but he had found a device that seemed to be able to generate them.

As it turned out, it was the device that had caused the catastrophic malfunction in the Tornado. It had fried the transmission and engine and left both beyond any idea of repair. Sonic was stuck in Uminari until he could repair it. He hadn't mentioned that tidbit in his initial examination of the Tornado; just the results.

"This device you mentioned," Signum pressed Sonic on the topic of the machine, "How does it work?"

"If I heard right, it's supposed to draw energy from the air or something and then convert it." Sonic answered to the best of his knowledge, "But it's kind of finicky on when it wants to work. I just plug it in, press a button and pray it works."

"So, last night was a matter of luck?"

"I wouldn't say that. I don't -need- rings to tap into my speed," The hedgehog was quick to argue that point, "They are a big help, but it's not like I need them to survive or something."

"Nevertheless, I think it's best for you not to intervene in our matters anymore." Signum gave Sonic a look that suppressed any retort he would've made in response, "Our rivals are resourceful; that dome you shattered was meant to trap us. They're quick to adjust to adversity, so it's unlikely that you'll be able to have a repeat of your feats last night. If only for your safety, I would like to ask you to stay out of our fights in the future."

"I can take care of myself" The hedgehog argued with a bit of an offended huff, "I don't need babying."

"Sonic-san, please listen to Signum." Shamal was quick to jump on Signum's side, understandably so, "We've faced them before, and they got better since then. If you try to fight them, you could get badly hurt and that would make Hayate really sad."

The hedgehog fell silent after Shamal supported Signum's argument. He also thought back to his fight with the mysterious twins last night. They seemed to be confident in their abilities and power and even though he overmatched them with the aid of a ring, he couldn't help but think about what could've happened if he didn't have that ring with him. In addition, after his battle with Eggman a few weeks ago, did he really want to join in another fight of that magnitude again? The conclusion was reached in his mind before he even realized it.

"Alright, you win." Sonic reluctantly relented, "I'll stay out of your fight."

"Thank you." Shamal softly stroked the hedgehog's head quills again. She must've stroked a pressure point, as the little blue blur let out a soft coo-like moan, "You're a good kid, I can see why Hayate trusts you."

"Ah… heh… heh…" The hedgehog could only let out a weak chuckle in bashfulness.

"Our mistress is also, far as we know, unaware of our activities." Signum strayed them back onto the point, "It would be best if it stays that way."

"I won't tell her, I doubt she'd believe if it came from me anyways." Sonic said, his tone suggesting that he would abide by Signum's request. He quickly sent her a pointed look of his own, "Just answer me one question, why are you doing this?"

"Because we have to…" Vita answered solemnly as she walked in and took a seat next to Shamal. She shot the hedgehog her usual grumpy look, "The Book is hurting her…"

The Wolkenritter explained to Sonic, in further detail, about their mistress's condition. The girl was paralyzed, but the Book of Darkness was making it worse as it fed off her Linker Core. Only the cores of other mages would sate the hunger of the Book. While she had requested and made the Wolkenritter promise that so long as she was the master, no one was to be harmed, they felt their hands were forced. They would've been content to live the life of peace if not for the Book's parasitic nature.

"You just wanted to live peacefully, but stuff you couldn't control changed that." Sonic nodded in understanding, "In a way, I can kind of relate."

Curiously, Vita did ask for elaboration for some reason, but the hedgehog turned her down and started to head back outside. Apparently, he felt he had talked enough for one day. The other knights were content to leave him be; he had already given the answers to the pertinent questions they had for him.

* * *

 **[Dimensional Space: Earth's Orbit]  
[Time-Space Administration Investigative L-Class "Arthra"]  
-Time: 12:50 pm  
[No BGM]**

The Time-Space Administration investigative spaceship, codenamed "Arthra", resided in orbit over the planet Earth. The vessel was large and sleek with a silver and gray color palette for a paint job. Due to its large size, it had a large capacity; at least enough for an army of 50 or so humans. Vessels like the Arthra were mainly used for patrols and investigations of disturbances on other worlds in the Sea of Dimensions.

Within the office of the warship's commander, a woman sat at her desk. The seemed appeared to be in her mid-30s and had quite the attractive figure. She had teal eyes and matching hair that was tied up in a long ponytail and long bangs. There was a gap in between her bangs over her forehead to reveal four light green markings on her forehead; likely birthmarks of some sort. Her attire consisted of a long, navy blue overcoat over a white collared dress shirt with a dark blue tie, pressed slim-fitting slacks that flowed into her dark blue high heeled shoes.

The woman, Admiral Lindy Harlaown of the Time-Space Administration, looked calmly at the gathering of Chrono, Alph Fate and Nanoha. A video screen was behind her with a loop of the battle Sonic the Hedgehog had with the Liese Twins. If she was bothered by the recent development, she didn't show it on her face. She took a small sip of tea from her cup before addressing the others in the room.

"So, we appear to have a new party to deal with in this case" Lindy said, her gaze fixed on her son, Chrono, for the moment "Interesting, isn't it, Chrono-kun?"

"Y-yes" Chrono, somewhat a bit awkwardly, replied; it was sort of understandable, having one's own mother as a direct superior can do that, "Everything happened so fast, there wasn't much we could do."

"Yes… this new player certainly made an impression." The teal haired admiral observed as she turned to look at the screen for another minute. "Not only did he destroy the Overpressure Force Field in one strike, but he also overpowered the high-level familiars of a ranking Admiral in the Bureau."

"The Liese twins are formidable experts in their work. I learned from them." Chrono added, his expression thoughtful, but a bit concerned, "To see them overpowered like that, and then beaten…"

"He was able to boost his power in a way similar to the Wolkenritter, but it felt more potent" Fate added softly, she drew the comparison from memory and past experience, "Although it didn't seem to last long."

"It seemed to be fading." Nanoha said, her voice and tone soft as if through concern for some reason, "But he took off before we could be sure."

"The little runt said that he'll 'Play with us some other time'." Alph let out an indignant huff with her bit of pertinent information, and she wasn't above letting her own feelings be known, "I think he was too scared to fight us."

"He could also have something to do with the Wolkenritter" Fate softly offered, drawing gazes on her. She quickly explained her reasoning, which seemed valid, "They were quick in making their escape after he destroyed the force field."

All eyes went to Fate Testarossa for a moment after that conclusion. It wasn't like they were disagreeing with her on it, but to draw a conclusion that soon. Nanoha, though, seemed to space out for the moment. She had kept awfully quiet after Alph had spoken; only Lindy had noticed the brunette's expression and body language, however.

"At any rate," Lindy cleared her throat to bring the attention to herself, "We can't be sure until we hear what the Liese Twins have to say."

"Excuse me." A youthful male voice said as the door slid open, "But I don't know if that's possible yet."

The voice belonged to Yuuno Scrya, a young human boy of about nine years with sandy brown hair and green eyes. His attire consisted of a light beige cloak over a green and white tunic that was fastened with a brown belt. Underneath the tunic was a black and beige trimmed t-shirt with matching fingerless gloves. His shorts were beige and his legs were left bare outside of medium length socks and simple shoes.

"Ah, Yuuno-kun" Lindy addressed the new entry rather kindly and warmly, "Do you have an update on the twins' condition?"

"Yeah, and it's not good" Yuuno answered with a down look, "Their condition is stable, and it doesn't look like it'll worsen, but they haven't woken up yet. They sustained serious, possibly debilitating injuries and the medical staff isn't sure when they'll be able to recover."

"If they aren't able to talk, then their master should be able to help." Chrono looked back at his mother with a serious look on his face, "He's on the ship somewhere. I can locate him and-."

"No, Chrono-kun. That won't be necessary. I will deal with Admiral Graham." Lindy interjected softly, though her authoritative aura was still strong. The way she spoke left little room to argue, "I need your focus on locating the Book of Darkness' master. Find the Wolkenritter and try to get them to listen to reason."

"Yes, ma'am!" Everyone present saluted her. Some of them were more subdued than others; especially Nanoha, much to Lindy's concern.

"Is something wrong, Nanoha-chan?" The admiral asked, expressing said concern on her face, "You look troubled."

"E-eh? Oh… y-yeah…" Nanoha rubbed the back of her head a bit nervously, "It's about the blue hedgehog… I think he's from the South Island archipelago… if I'm right, that might explain a thing or two about him."

Upon the request for clarification from Lindy, Nanoha further elaborated her point. The South Island archipelago was said to have certain animals or creatures that have evolved to the point of being anthropomorphic and gain special abilities. These abilities and power were then exploited by a mad scientist; identified as Doctor Eggman in the news reports.

According to the news, Eggman had launched a devastating attack on South Island several weeks ago. He set up a base on South Island and captured most of the island's inhabitants and converted them into robots by putting them into mechanized suits. Not only were the animals trapped in the robotic suits, but their power was also used to energize the robots. The mad scientist had announced to the world his campaign for conquest, but his base and operations were destroyed not too long after. Officially, the base was destroyed due to an explosion, but the investigation had yet to conclude.

Where Nanoha's conjecture filled in was if the hedgehog was from South Island, he likely was caught up in the mad scientists' plans. Rarely have there been any interactions between the humans and the animals of South Island. Eggman's campaign and heinous actions, while unforgivable by human standards, possibly could've set the tone of unrest and mistrust for future interactions with the humans.

"If this is true…" Nanoha concluded her tiring, wordy explanation with concern in her tone, "Then he might've been spooked when we surrounded him."

"That's a very well thought out point, Nanoha-chan." Lindy smiled warmly at the girl. She felt impressed by the youth's thoughtfulness, "We should take caution next time we see him. With what he was able to do to the Twins, and a feeling of uncertainty with humans, I'd hate to see him as an enemy."

"Understood!" The gathered collective spoke in unison once more.

"Good," The woman kindly dismissed them with a wave, "Dismissed!"

The mages and one familiar swiftly left the room and went on with their assigned duties, leaving Lindy to her own thoughts. Truthfully, the admiral was a bit concerned about the hedgehog's interference. The actions and unknown motives presented a major problem, one that the Bureau may not be able to deal with yet.

* * *

 **[Uminari City]**

The following days after that eventful night went by rather peacefully for Hayate, the Wolkenritter and their blue hedgehog houseguest. Everyone had sort of returned to their normal ways, though that night had, undoubtedly, changed how the hedgehog was viewed by Hayate, most definitely for the better. The Wolkenritter had simply tuned him out most days and let him get on with fixing his plane.

Sonic had developed something of a routine for most days. Once every other morning or so, he'd go out for a long run after breakfast. He always took a different route on each run, but with his speed, they lasted no longer than an hour. Signum and Shamal had used this to their benefit. They had the blue hedgehog remember where certain key locations, specifically Uminari City University Hospital, were. They had him do this so in the event that Hayate needed to go to the hospital and both were unable to take her, he'd be able to do so. If the hedgehog had any reservations about it, he didn't voice them.

For the Wolkenritter, things were a bit difficult in their progress of filling the Book of Darkness. The Bureau had seemed to make it their objective to undermine any attempts of progress in their goal. The knights had, understandably, figured that the Bureau would've done such as they had to harm others to gather their cores. It was their most recent spat with them on a desert world that had further complicated things.

Nanoha and Fate, respective rivals of Vita and Signum, had, repeatedly when able, questioned them about the blue hedgehog from that one night. Both knights had swiftly denied any knowledge of Sonic, but they had serious doubts that either mage bought it. The questioning did bring up something interesting for them to question the hedgehog on later. Regardless, for Signum, it was yet another reason why the blue hedgehog shouldn't be involved.

 **[Yagami Residence]  
-Time: 8:05 pm-  
[No BGM]**

With dinner eaten and dishes cleaned up, Hayate, Sonic and the Wolkenritter retired to the couch for the rest of the evening. The mood was peaceful and relaxing. The hedgehog normally would've kicked up his feet on the couch, but he had been scolded, rather cutely, by Hayate for his manners before; he'd rather like to avoid that again.

"Sonic-san," Signum suddenly spoke up, addressing the blue hedgehog, "Would you mind if I asked you about South Island?"

"Hmmm?" Sonic looked at her a bit weirdly before shrugging in response, "Eh, go ahead."

"Several weeks ago, the island came under attack by a man identified as "Doctor Eggman"." The knight stated informatively; her tone and expression stoic, "You were on the island when this happened, were you not?"

"Oh yeah, I was definitely there." The hedgehog confirmed with a not-so-subtle heat to his tone, "I had the best seat in the house for Baldy McNosehair's plot."

The nickname that Sonic had for the scientist, while humorous, did little to distract Hayate and the Wolkenritter from the main clause of the answer. Sonic would soon feel the gazes on him focus more as the gravity of what he had said sunk in. He could see the concerned frown on Hayate's face and the raised eyebrows of Signum and Vita as they took it in much sooner.

"W-were you…" the brunette gulped over her words; understandably shocked, "Were you captured?"

"Nah. That was the second-best seat." Sonic shook his head. He took in a breath before he followed up, "That was "given" to my critter friends from the islands…"

With little delay, the hedgehog told the others the story from his side. The media was correct in just about every aspect of Doctor Eggman's scheme except for how it failed. Sonic filled in the blanks with the simple declaration that the explosion was his doing. He had launched a simple one-hedgehog wrecking crew of Eggman's operation and dealt a blow so fast, the doctor didn't know what had happened until it was too late.

He had come to the island via boat from his birthplace, Christmas Island, numerous times to visit the critters. Everything was peaceful until the day the island fell under Eggman's darkness. When he arrived, the base was built and nearly all of his critter friends had been abducted and turned into robots. Understandably so, the hedgehog was upset and with his power, he knew that he had to do something.

From zone to zone, the hedgehog chased down the mad scientist, destroying every robot, freeing every critter that he could. The chase had taken Sonic from lush green hills, lava-sunk ruins and pinball-themed urban jungles to a sunken labyrinth and a roller coaster like city. His own campaign ended in an astounding and destructive victory at Scrap Brain, Eggman's base of operations.

The whole story, at least to Hayate humorously enough, sounded like a plot to a best-selling video game, but the details that Sonic had provided had swayed the skeptics. It also helped that Sonic had paused the story, multiple times, to answer questions about the individual zones that Hayate or the others might've had. Oddly enough, Scrap Brain wasn't the proverbial hardest of zones for Sonic; it was the Labyrinth, much to Vita's amusement.

"You had more trouble during the underwater zone?!" The gothic redhead could barely hold her amusement, "You're the fastest thing any of us had ever seen and you're saying some water got to ya?!"

"Oy, cut me some slack," Sonic deliberately shot the girl an annoyed look; "I can't swim and I sink like a rock. Not to mention I can't run fast in water."

"I read somewhere that hedgehogs are normally good swimmers," Signum chimed in, despite her stoicism; she couldn't help but be amused by the irony, "How odd."

"This hedgehog didn't get the memo!" The blue boy threw his arms up in comical frustration.

"There, there." Shamal patted the blue hedgehog on the head to try and ease his disgruntled feelings, "We all have our own weak points. What matters is that we're aware of them so we can work to improve."

"If you stay with us long enough, I think we can help you with that." Hayate offered, "Swimming lessons and maybe a diet..."

A long sigh from the hedgehog had immediately alerted to the wheelchair-bound brunette that she might've touched a nerve. Sonic patted his slightly chubby and round belly for a bit more emphasis. The realization had quickly set in and Hayate fell into a comical panic. The hedgehog wasn't alone in the weight issue either as Shamal had also fallen silent. For the kind Hayate, even she wasn't immune to the innocent insensitivities of the touchy subjects.

"S-sorry, Shamal-san, Sonic-kun!" The brunette apologized profusely with her hands waving in a comically humorous manner, "I didn't mean it like that…"

"It's fine…" the hedgehog finally shook his head to wave off the depressing aura about him. A change of topic was in order, "Say Hayate... can I ask you about something?"

"Sure," Hayate nodded, somewhat thankful that she had the change of topic, "What is it?"

 **[BGM Insert: "Rydia's Theme" Final Fantasy IV (DS)]**

"Do you have any dreams?" Sonic asked with a look of genuine curiosity on his face, "Like anything special?"

"To be honest, the last few months have seemed like a dream for me. I have something of a family now; a family to talk and eat meals with." The brunette admitted in earnest. She had always grown up alone, so the idea of having a family to spend time with might've been enough from her. Still, Hayate had thought of something, "Well… lately I've had a dream… of us all flying… sharing the same sky."

"Sharing the same sky… hmm…" The blue hedgehog pondered for a few moments after Hayate's admission. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head, "Would you like that dream to come true?"

"Huh?" Hayate was slightly floored by the question. She had to think about it once more, "Well, I guess… it would be nice."

"Then, how about I make it happen?!" Sonic slowly started to explain his spark of genius to the wheelchair bound girl, "I'll build a second seat in the Tornado… and when I finally fix the plane. I'll take you on a flight with it! We can fly all around South Island. You, me, the Wolkenritter… we'll all be flying, sharing the same sky."

"You…" the brunette blinked in disbelief. Even the Wolkenritter were floored by the declaration, "You really mean that?"

"Of course!" The blue hedgehog affirmed with an enthusiastic thumbs-up gesture, "And that is a promise! When I finish the Tornado and when you get better, I'll take you for a flight around the islands. That's a promise, from me to you!"

"S-Sonic-kun…" The girl suddenly pulled Sonic into a tight embrace, tears falling from her face, "T-thank you!"

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #3: Signum]  
Name: Signum  
Katakana: ****シグナム** **(Shi-gu-na-mu)  
Age: Unknown (Presumably in her 20s)  
Gender: Female  
Height: 165 cm  
Weight: 50 kg  
Color: Purple  
System: Ancient Belka  
Device: Laevatein  
Rank: AAA+ (Air)**

 **[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #4: Shamal]  
Name: Shamal  
Katakana:** **シャマル** **(Sha-ma-ru)  
Age: Unknown (Presumably in her 20s)  
Gender: Female  
Height: 163 cm  
Weight: 53 kg  
Color: Green  
System: Ancient Belka  
Device: Klarwind  
Rank: AA+ (Synthetic)**

* * *

 **-Several Months Later-**

The autumn season had come slowly but surely for Sonic, Hayate and the Wolkenritter. As the time passed, so too did the efforts from Sonic and the Wolkenritter in their respective tasks. All the while, Hayate was blissfully left unaware of the activities of her knights. Not that she asked, she was under the impression that the Wolkenritter were at work like normal civilians; a cover that was partly true

Sonic had slowly started to make headway in his promise. While he wasn't able to install a second seat in the Tornado yet, he was able to fix the wings, fix the propeller and fix up the paint job. From the outside, the plane looked good as new and it was only a matter of time before the hedgehog could get the additional seat he promised installed.

Unfortunately, that was also where Sonic hit a major roadblock. The engine and transmission were completely ruined beyond repair. In addition, the biplane was a vintage model, so to get replacement transmission and engine components would not only take a significant amount of time, but money as well, Sonic was anything but deterred; if anything, he saw the complications as motivation to keep on his word.

If there was any complication in Sonic's adjustment to the domesticated life with Hayate and the Wolkenritter, it was the rooming assignment. While the hedgehog had outright made it known that he was perfectly content to sleep on the roof of the house, that was not going to stand when the Autumn season faded into winter. The first official day of Winter had Hayate, surprisingly, put her foot down and, in her own way, demand that Sonic take one of the guest bedrooms. Shamal and the others were quick to take her side of the agreement as well. Fur or not, it would not be healthy for the hedgehog to sleep out in the frigid cold every night. Sonic had, albeit reluctantly, conceded his defeat and took a room.

As for the Wolkenritter, the hedgehog's promise had served as something of a motivation for them. Part of his promise was for Hayate to get better in her condition. For that, they needed to fill the Book of Darkness to keep it from devouring at her core. Despite the slight boost of motivation from said promise, the knights were making slow progress. Within a span of 2 months, the Knights were able to fill about 300 pages. The progress, combined with the 250 pages they gathered prior to meeting the hedgehog, tallied up to 550. At their rate, the book could possibly be complete by Christmas at the earliest.

During the time that Shamal and Signum were out to fill the book, the task to bring Hayate to the University hospital fell to Sonic. It was there that Sonic was introduced to Hayate's doctor, a strict but caring woman named Sachie Ishida. The woman had regarded the hedgehog with an understandable amount of scrutiny at first, given where Sonic was from and how he had apparently entered Hayate's life. Fortunately, the brunette was able to convince her that the hedgehog was a new friend her family took in and let stay until he could get back on his feet.

It was also during one such visit that Sonic was introduced to a new friend that Hayate had met, a cute purple-haired 9-year-old named Suzuka Tsukimura. Hayate had met her one day in the library with Shamal and Signum. Suzuka helped reach a book that Hayate had wanted and the two seemed to have hit it off quite easily from there. Sonic was honestly a little impressed and shocked with how amiable Hayate's new friend was with him.

Suzuka was so gentle, so kind yet quiet. The girl was rich enough to live in a mansion with two maids, yet did not let the money spoil her rotten. She had the goal of continuing her family's line of becoming successful engineers, something that had caught Sonic's attention. Hayate and Sonic, during one of Suzuka's visits to the Yagami residence, had spoken about the hedgehog's disabled aircraft and even showed it to her after the hedgehog was assured that Suzuka wouldn't harm the plane.

It was when Sonic had mentioned his little idea that Suzuka decided she wanted to lend a hand. She had taken measurements of the biplane's fuselage and one of the seats. The reason for this was so Suzuka could arrange for another seat to be made and that Sonic was given the proper materials to accommodate the addition. Tsukimura then took note of what was left of the current engine and transmission units so she could arrange for a replacement of both. When Sonic, a little understandably so, tried to dissuade Suzuka from going so far, she softly refuted him under the honest reasoning that it was something she wanted to do.

 **-December 5** **th** **-  
[Yagami Residence]  
-Time: 2:00 pm-  
[No BGM]**

The afternoon had started like any other. Signum and the Wolkenritter were out performing their duties while Sonic and Hayate held down the fort, so to speak. Lunch time had just passed, and it had seen them share a cup of tea and sandwiches. In fact, they had both finished cleaning the lunchtime dishes when the house phone rang.

"I'll get it," Hayate stated as she wheeled herself over to the phone to answer it.

The hedgehog had remained in the kitchen to finish up cleaning while Hayate answered the call. As it turned out, it was Suzuka on the other end and she had some wonderful news. Both she and Hayate conversed idly for a couple of minutes about their day before the heiress had an unusual request.

"Sonic-kun? He's still here, hold on." Hayate requested as she placed her hand on the mouthpiece of the phone to address the hedgehog in the kitchen, "Sonic-kun! Suzuka-chan wants to talk to you!"

"Oh?" Sonic had zoomed over to Hayate's side so fast the brunette could've sworn she saw a cartoonish cloud between the kitchen and where the hedgehog stopped, "Me?"

"Yeah," Hayate confirmed as she held out the phone, "She said it's very important, and she's really excited about it too."

"Okay~!" Sonic easily mimicked the brunette's enthusiasm as he took the phone in a gloved hand. The hedgehog started to speak as Hayate went back to the kitchen to finish up, "What's up?"

"I have some good news about your plane" The voice on the other end spoke softly, but informatively, yet still left no doubt as to how excited she was, "The aircraft experts I talked to said that the fuselage is just big enough to expand the cockpit to add a second seat."

"Great~!" The hedgehog chimed cheerfully. He would've said more, but Suzuka didn't seem like she was finished

"Also, I found a few aviation vendors that sell parts for retro models like your Tornado," The girl added the second piece of news with a tone that suggested that she might've struck gold, "The parts are old, but I think we can get them shipped to you guys before Christmas!"

"No way…" Sonic almost dropped the phone, this was arguably the best news he's had for the last few months. Finally, all of his blood, sweat, tears and grease from that painstaking work to repair the plane, "You're serious about this?"

"Mhmm!" Suzuka chimed back musically, "if it all goes well, you could fulfil Hayate-chan's dream by Christmas."

"Oh, man I have to tell Hayate about this." Sonic placed his hand over the mouthpiece and shouted into the kitchen, "Oi, Hayate! Suzuka said that there should be enough room to add a seat to the Tornado, and we could have it fixed by Christmas!"

"Really!" Hayate's voice, albeit somewhat weirdly and throaty all of a sudden, answered back, "That's gr-."

CLANG! THUD! The girl suddenly cut off short there. Sonic, a little unnerved by the sudden noise interruptions, zoomed back into the kitchen to see what had happened. He was greeted by a gruesome, troubling sight of Hayate's collapsed form. Her wheelchair was tilted over and she was unconscious.

"Hayate!" Sonic knelt down to check her vital signs. He was relieved that she was still alive, just unconscious, "Thank goodness, she's alive…"

The hedgehog quickly zoomed over to the phone and informed Suzuka of what had just happened. Unsurprisingly, the other girl was immediately concerned for the frail Hayate's wellbeing. Sonic then told Suzuka that he was going to take Hayate to her doctor at the University Hospital. He had a feeling that he didn't need to ask, but he requested that Suzuka made sure that the Signum and the others were made aware of this disturbing development.

' _If what the other knights said was true, I don't think I'll be returning home anytime soon.'_ Sonic thought to himself as he secured Hayate's unconscious form in her wheelchair, _'I better grab the ring generator… I might need it.'_

With little delay, Sonic rushed outside and made sure that the Tornado locked up. Once that was done, he secured the ring generator prototype on his person. The device was small enough to fit underneath the wheelchair, and if need be, he could pass it off as something benign. Once everything was ready, Sonic took off as fast as he could for the hospital, hopefully Ishida-san might be able to shed some light on the new disturbing development.

* * *

 **[University Hospital]  
-Time: 2:30 pm-  
[No BGM]**

With Hayate's current state, the receptionists didn't bother with the formalities and had Sonic take her to her usual room. Hayate was a regular patient of the hospital with her checkups and whatnot, so it wasn't unusual for the staff to have her doctor and room ready at any moment's notice. Once they got to the room, Sonic stowed the ring generator prototype under a table on the far side and sat on Hayate's bed.

It didn't take long for Doctor Ishida to come by and escort Hayate to get some tests done and see what has come of the new development. Shortly after she left, the Wolkenritter rushed in, all looking tired and a bit worried. They might've dropped everything they were doing and teleported straight to the hospital. Sonic wasn't going to ask how they knew to come to the hospital so quickly, but it seemed like Vita was going to say anyways.

"We felt Hayate-chan's distress through the book," the loli knight said, sounding quite a bit out of breath, "What happened?"

"Suzuka called the house with good news about the Tornado." Sonic started to explain, "As I relayed it to Hayate, her voice cut out and she collapsed, like on the spot!"

"Her condition isn't improving then…" Signum guessed

"Indeed." Doctor Ishida added from the doorway in a forced calm tone. She beckoned the Wolkenritter and hedgehog to follow her as her aides placed Hayate's unconscious body in the bed.

"What's up, doc?" The hedgehog asked. His tone was somewhat calm, but there was no question that he was going to take this matter seriously.

"Hayate's paralysis isn't healing as much as I had initially hoped." The doctor informed them solemnly, "In fact, it's been slowly progressing every day, for whatever reason. It doesn't make much sense, has she been taking care of herself?"

"Yes," Shamal answered, "She's been eating healthy, keeping current on her medication and getting the required amount of sleep every night."

"This doesn't make any sense…" Ishida hung her head in frustration, "Despite all of that, her condition is only getting worse now. If we can't stop it…"

"What?" Sonic seemed to be the only one who didn't really know the full extent of the ramifications, "What's going to happen?"

"Her paralysis, if left undeterred, will start to spread rapidly up her body." The doctor answered, utilizing a diagram and pen for emphasis, "She's already unable to walk, but soon she may lose her ability to use her arms or hands… then her spine… eventually, her heart may stop."

"No way…" The hedgehog's eyes widened in shock, "She could… die?"

"Possibly, but we'll do everything we can to stop it." Ishida knelt down and gave the hedgehog a reassuring smile and pat on the shoulder, "You did well to get her here as fast as you did."

The doctor soon took her leave to speak with the staff about arranging for more powerful treatments to combat Hayate's condition. With the blue hedgehog in tow, the Wolkenritter returned to Hayate's room. Somber and serious was the mood in the room. It was only Hayate's normal breathing in her resting state that had kept anyone from breaking down on the spot.

"Hayate's getting worse…" Sonic laid a gloved hand through the human's soft hair. He looked up at Signum and Shamal, "Could this be the Book's doing?"

"It is…" Signum answered, "We had made so much progress too, I thought the Book would've at least slowed down it's feeding… It seems we were wrong."

"How much do you have left?" The hedgehog asked as he looked at Hayate in deep thought.

"After today's gathering, the Book has five hundred and eighty-three pages." Zafira spoke up this time, even he couldn't hide his nerves in this time of serious tension, "eighty-three remaining."

Sonic thought over the wolf's words. While he wasn't sure as to how the book was filled, eighty-three pages didn't sound like so much of a tall order. It had him thinking about if he could do something to help. He thought about all of the time he spent with Hayate when the others were out, while he could consider his type of support to be of the emotional kind, he couldn't help but think that there was more he could've done. The train of thought led him to consider the Rings, maybe if he could get the generator working like it should.

He didn't get much further on the train of thought as Sachie Ishida returned and Hayate started to wake up. The doctor was cordial in informing the handicapped girl of the most recent update. She took caution to word it as more of a setback and that they would redouble their efforts to combat Hayate's condition. However, given her current status, the doctor could not in good conscience release Hayate. It was for the best that she remained in the hospital until she is recovered to the point where her life wasn't in jeopardy.

 **-2 Weeks later-**

The few remaining weeks until Christmas started to pass in a blur as things became a bit of a trend. The Wolkenritter were still hard at work in maintaining their civil covers whilst filling the Book of Darkness under Hayate's nose, but their progress had been slow of late. Sonic had basically stalled all work on the Tornado for the time being, he had a new focus in trying to get Hayate back to health. It wouldn't do much good for the Tornado to be all fixed if Hayate wasn't healthy enough to ride it.

The hedgehog had spent a majority of his time in Hayate's room, tinkering with the ring generator. Since that night when he destroyed the force field that trapped the Wolkenritter, the machine had yet to produce one more ring and it had Sonic troubled. He had a hunch or two regarding the power that the rings could have and the effect on the Book of Darkness.

Still, Sonic's stay at the hospital with Hayate wasn't so bad. Ishida would often take him to the University's cafeteria for breakfast, coffee and lunch on most days. Despite her rather strict attitude, she was quite kind and amiable. Sonic was a bit impressed and he found himself opening up to her a bit about his story. Not too much though, just only about South Island, his first adventure and how he met Hayate and her family.

Out of curiosity, the doctor asked Sonic why he had stayed with Hayate and her family for so long. Given the bad impression that Doctor Eggman had left on Sonic's island, it wasn't inappropriate. Sonic had initially said that it was because of a promise he made to Hayate once he got his airplane fixed, but he was pressed for more as Ishida felt there was more to the story.

For Sonic, his interactions with Hayate and her family had given him the idea that not all humans were like the nefarious Doctor Eggman. Reasonably, the hedgehog did feel some skepticism regarding it, but the idea was confirmed wholly. From Hayate, the Wolkenritter and Suzuka to doctor Ishida herself, Sonic had quickly come to learn with the true reality. It was Eggman who was the exception to the rule, the "bad egg" of the bunch.

As for Suzuka, whenever she got the chance, she would visit Hayate at the hospital. The two were quickly becoming close friends, almost best friends. Their personalities jived so well and Sonic was a little bit in awe at how cute the two were together. For Hayate, Suzuka was her first true human friend and was so kindhearted. Suzuka would often speak of her own best friends, Arisa, Nanoha and recently Fate. She spoke a bit about their personalities and how she got to know them. The way the quiet girl spoke of them, they seemed like such nice characters, and Sonic and Hayate both were curious about meeting them. Eventually, Suzuka swore that she would introduce her them to her friends before the year was over.

* * *

 **-December 22** **nd** **-  
[University Hospital: Hallway]  
-Time: 2:05 pm-**

For Suzuka, the best opportunity to introduce her new friend to her best friends had finally come. Both primary and cram school had let out for winter break, and Nanoha and Fate were free from whatever occupied their time as well. The four made their way to the room of the girl that Suzuka had spoken much kindly of. Arisa, Nanoha and Fate were all excited, but the latter two seemed to be consumed within their own thoughts.

For Nanoha and Fate, they were troubled by the recent developments in the Book of Darkness case. They were aiding the Time-Space Administration in the investigation. Fate was doing such as part of her duty due to her status as a probationary temporary mage, while Nanoha enlisted herself as a civilian helper. What had troubled them was the biggest bombshell that was recently dropped in the case.

After that faithful night when the blue hedgehog inadvertently intervened in the Bureau's attempted arrest of the Wolkenritter, the investigation had partly shifted to focus on probing the hedgehog's alleged relationship with the rival knights. The initial questioning on the desert planet, unfortunately, was fruitless though as the Wolkenritter denied any form of outside help, though Nanoha and Fate were quick to deduce that Vita and Signum knew something about the hedgehog.

To add further complications to the matter, Lindy had less luck getting anything from Admiral Graham, at least not until his twin familiars had woken up from their extended nap. Once both of them were awake and alert, Lindy had them and their master held within a holding cell for further questioning. Graham and the Liese twins were cooperative, though only Lindy Harlaown was privy to the direct knowledge while Nanoha and Fate had to settle for what Lindy was allowed to tell them.

For rather obvious reasons that Lindy understood, Gil would not divulge officially the name of the Book of Darkness's current master. The admiral did confess that he had a master plan set for the Book that, if not for interference, might've possibly dealt with it once and for all, but he would only divulge it once the book was close to completion. His reasoning for the stipulation was that his plan relied on the Book to be completed or close to it. Graham's plan was not what had bothered Nanoha and Fate, though.

What had the both of them so deeply troubled was Gil Graham's admission that the Book of Darkness was most likely going to kill its master upon completion. This meant that now they had to find the master and save them from the Book itself. The stakes rose with this bombshell, and up until recently, there have been no leads on the Master's identity.

Fortunately for the two, the Liese twins were allowed to give a potentially crucial hint, the mysterious blue hedgehog that had defeated them that night. Aria had apparently spotted him leaving the house of the Wolkenritter's master just minutes before he showed up within the Bureau's force field. The twins had initially planned to use the hedgehog as a sacrifice to the Book. His core, coming in at a solid A rank on the power scale, would have benefited the Book greatly and would have aided the Wolkenritter in escaping the Bureau's trap. The twin familiars did not take into account that the hedgehog might have had a power boosting item and paid for their underestimation dearly.

The hint dropped by the twin familiars was at least something to work on for Nanoha and Fate. They were able to confirm at least that while the hedgehog was not the Book's master, his apparent relationship with the Wolkenritter meant that he was also connected to the Master as well. It also helped that they needed a statement from the hedgehog regarding the twin's attempted assault on him. All of that had to wait for the moment as meeting Suzuka's new friend came first.

"Hayate-chan's been crippled for as long as I've known her," Suzuka briefly explained a bit about her new friend, "Her doctor's been trying to cure her of it for months now, and apparently it's gotten worse."

"When did this happen?" Fate asked out of concern.

"It was around the beginning of the month. I was talking to her friend over the phone when he heard her collapse…" The purple haired girl answered, "I don't think I've ever heard Sonic-kun get so worked up before."

"Sonic-kun?" Nanoha asked curiously with a tilt of the head

"He's a friend of Hayate-chan's whose been staying at her house after an accident had left him without anywhere else to go. She's let him stay at her house for the last few months, at least as long as I've known her…" Suzuka spoke of this friend with a kind tone, "You'll like him, he's a nice boy."

"Is he the reason for your sudden interest in aviation?" Arisa asked with a bit of a teasing tone, referring to Suzuka's recent search of aviation mechanics and experts.

"Guilty as charged. Sonic-kun's rebuilding some old plane he found. He made a sweet promise to Hayate-chan, and I kinda wanted to help him out." Suzuka answered without much remorse. Their conversation had to come to a conclusion as they approached Hayate's room, "Here we are!"

 **[University Hospital: Hayate's Room]  
-Time: 2:10 pm-  
[No BGM]**

The girls were greeted with a very unique sight when they entered the room. Hayate was laying on the bed with a book on her lap and a kind, warm smile on her face. Her blue hedgehog friend laid on the windowsill in a reclining position with his arms folded behind his head and his legs crossed. When the girls entered both brunette and hedgehog turned to face them. Their respective light blue and green eyes shone in slight wonder.

' _Pretty.'_ Nanoha thought to herself in awe as she found her gaze lingering on Hayate's kind beauty.

"Oh, good afternoon. You must be Suzuka-chan's friends," Hayate greeted them politely, "I'm Yagami Hayate. The blue cutie on the wall is Sonic-kun."

"Yo~" The aforementioned blue hedgehog simply greeted the group with a wave; if he recognized Nanoha and Fate from before, he didn't say anything.

' _T-that's…'_ Fate, to her credit, was able to recognize him on the spot. Without a second thought, she nodded towards Nanoha and sent her a telepathic ping, _"That's him, Nanoha."_

" _The same blue hedgehog from before…"_ The other girl sent back in confirmation, _"But what's he doing here?"_

" _We'll wait and see. The other girl doesn't appear to be concerned about him."_ The blonde noted in reference to the overall laid-back mood that Sonic and Hayate had generated, _"We will observe, act only if necessary."_

" _Okay."_ Nanoha sent back in a cheerful confirmation.

' _Those two, huh…'_ Sonic, sure enough, had recognized the two. He kept his thoughts to himself though, as he immediately figured that to say something and make a scene would raise Hayate's suspicions, _'The Sherman Brothers were right. It is a small world after all.'_

The visit, overall, went pretty well. Both Hayate and Sonic were quite laid back, easy to talk to, and they had some interesting things to add to the conversations going about. The topics ranged from schoolwork, holidays, and education, where Sonic had a surprising amount of knowledge in; to fashion where Hayate had shone. As for the promise that Suzuka had mentioned, it was just as sweet and heartwarming as it sounded, and it would make a lovely Christmas present.

After a few hours, Suzuka and the others had left with happy smiles and the wonderful feeling when a new friendship is born. Arisa seemed to enjoy talking with the blue hedgehog and their shared penchant for the sass and snark had been something to bond over. Suzuka was honestly glad that the visit had gone so well.

For Nanoha and Fate, they had an inner conflict with themselves about how the hedgehog should be regarded. The events from that night where he took out the Liese twins, albeit in self-defense, still lingered in memory. Although, it was hard to believe that someone with Sonic's power could be so easygoing. Both of them returned home as soon as they could; they had things to discuss with the others in the Bureau.

* * *

 **-December 24** **th** **-  
[University Hospital: Hayate's Room]  
-Time: 1:00 pm-  
[BGM: "Tense" Sonic Rush Adventure]**

Sonic had to wonder where everything in the day went wrong. Christmas eve had started so peacefully with another visit from the Wolkenritter. The knights had even decided to not work on the Book in favor of observing the holiday with their mistress. They figured that with the Book down to the last fifty pages, there was more time. It was when Suzuka and her friends had sprung a surprise visit that everything went downhill.

The tension between the Wolkenritter and the duo of Nanoha and Fate was so thick, not even a knife would've been able to cut it. Both sides had stared each other down when able, and it didn't seem to be quite a comforting setting.

' _This day could not get worse, can it?'_ The blue hedgehog asked himself in thought, _'No wait, never mind; stupid Murphy's Law.'_

To avoid drawing suspicion from Hayate, Suzuka and Arisa, the Wolkenritter and the mage had their discussion over a telepathic link. It was then that the truths came out. Hayate, as confirmed by Signum, was the mistress of the Book of Darkness. The revelation was like a major bombshell for Nanoha and Fate. To think, that all of the Wolkenritter's actions, it was all for the kindhearted girl?

Something didn't add up, but when Fate had calmly asked, she was refused an answer. However, the knights were quick to note that, while Sonic the Hedgehog had knowledge of their activities to a certain extent, he was made to promise against any form of future interference. For the Wolkenritter, their fight wasn't for the hedgehog. The sentiment was shared by the two girls from the Bureau.

It was decided then that the cards had to be put on the table. A final battle had to be fought; a clash of ideals and objectives. For both sides, it was clear that a peaceful solution was, regrettably, seemingly impossible. They had agreed to fight at night and on the top of the hospital roof, so that innocents would not be harmed.

 **-Hours later-  
[University Hospital: Rooftop]  
-Time: 6:50 pm-  
[BGM: "How it Started" Sonic and the Secret Rings]**

Sparks of flame and lightning littered the night sky as four flashes of light soared. Nanoha and Fate were locked in a heated battle between their respective rivals, Signum and Vita. Zafira an Shamal, for the moment, remained on the sidelines, opting to take the lookout duty for any possible interference from the Bureau.

For Nanoha Takamachi, she had to wonders how it came to this. She had reached out, with all of her honest-to-goodness heart to Vita; trying to get her to listen to reason. The girl had truly wanted to help, but it was not to be it seemed. The Crimson knight was too stubborn to listen, too much set in her own ways.

"You devil!" Vita spat out with all of the heat she could muster as she pointed Graf Eisen at the girl in white.

"A devil…I can live with that." Nanoha retorted with a deathly calm as she held out her trusted device, Raising Heart Excelion, "If we can see eye-to-eye, I'm fine with being the devil."

For Signum and Fate, their battle was just as intense, even if both fighters were less vocal about their disagreement. Their personalities were quite similar and their strengths seemed to be on par or close to it. Both sides were equally impressed; it was such a shame that they had to have opposing ideals and goals.

"I respect you, Testarossa…" Signum said as she paused to ready her blade, Laevatein, for another clash, "Had we not been on opposing sides, we could've been friends."

"I don't doubt that, Signum." Fate responded in kind. Her cloak, skirt and stockings had been discarded from her Barrier Jacket in order to sacrifice defense for speed. Her trusted device, Bardiche, was held at her side, ready for another clash with its counterpart.

The pause in the battle had concluded in a swift manner. Fate and Nanoha had stared down their respective rivals in a manner akin to an old western showdown. Such sentiment was shared by Vita and Signum. Within an instant, both sides launched off for yet another full power clash. It all seemed inevitable, but was anything truly that?

 **[No BGM]**

"STOP!" A voice suddenly called out from the rooftop, the voice was familiar to all who were present.

Suddenly, the battle had halted as a blue blur blasted straight through the clashing combatants. Within the light blue flash was an all too familiar spiky blue ball. The ball had suddenly broken through Nanoha and Vita's mid-air clash with enough speed to generate a powerful Sonic Boom that had disrupted their flight and sent them both to a rather unceremonious impact with the ground.

Luckily, Nanoha and Vita were unharmed for the most part, they only had the wind knocked out of them by that shockwave. Merely less than a second later, Fate and Signum were sent to the ground after they had suffered from the same interruption. For both sides of the fighting, all momentum had been lost, but that wasn't the main issue.

The blue ball suddenly landed on top of a pole on the rooftop and uncurled to reveal the blue hedgehog himself. Sonic stared at the four with a stern look of his unrestrained frustration, but for what reason? How could it have come to this? What intention did Sonic have for this sudden interference?

* * *

 **[Ending: "Mi-Ra-I" Run & Gun, Sonic X]**

 **[End of Chapter 2]**

Author's note: Cliffhanger! AHA! You'll have to wait and see. Wait and see. Sonic's promise here was so sweet, I hope some people caught it. I put a bit of work into getting that. Also throwing in a few references and some world building and lore building. I just breezed through bout 8+ anime episodes in a few time skips. I did this because if I were to cover all of the episodes and everything. It would be too much filler.


	3. Chapter 3

SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in Chapter 3 and the Finale to the NachtWal arc. After this chapter, there will be a brief breather slice-of-life chapter to transition between arcs before we go at it with the first game arc. As usual, I own nothing canon here.

* * *

 **-December 24** **th** **-  
[Uminari City]  
[University Hospital: Hayate's Room]  
-Time: 6:45 pm-  
[BGM: "Nervous" Sonic Rush Adventure"]**

Loneliness. It is a feeling of isolation, to be cut off from the outside world for even but a moment. For Sonic and Hayate, they shared this feeling as after Suzuka and her friends had left and the Wolkenritter had also stepped away. Neither girl nor hedgehog knew for how long, but the latter had a rather ominous feeling that something was not right. He had a confident feeling that he knew what exactly the knights and their rivals were doing, and he did not like it.

' _Of all the times to have a rumble, it had to be now?!'_ Sonic asked himself in thought, _'Why couldn't they take these 2 days off? It's Christmas for kami's sake!'_

"Vita-chan and the others have been away for quite a while." Hayate sounded a little worried as she stroked the blue hedgehog, mainly to keep herself somewhat calm, "You think they're okay?"

"Knowing them, I'd say they're fi-." Sonic cut himself off when he looked out the window. From his good vision alone was he able to spot a series of pink and red lights clashing, followed shortly by clashing yellow and purple lights clashing. The hedgehog bit back a curse in annoyance due to Hayate's presence, "Just… fine."

"Are you okay, Sonic-kun?" The girl asked in concern for her blue friend, "You cut off there…"

"I'm fine" The hedgehog simply waved off her concern, "Just fi-."

It seemed that Sonic, to his annoyance, would not be able to finish a sentence uninterrupted. Surprisingly, the interruption came courtesy of the prototype ring generator at the side of the bed. The machine started to sputter and flash inconsistently and sporadically. For both hedgehog and human, the noises grew louder and the flashes brighter over a span of maybe ten seconds.

"Oh, for kami's sake, can't I finish a sentence here?" The hedgehog made an improvised curse, "Now what?"

"I think it's coming from the ring machine." Hayate noted somewhat obviously. A little weird deadpan look from the hedgehog had her giggle a bit, "Sorry, I guess you figured that out already."

Sonic hopped off the bed and went to inspect the machine. The prototype shook and spasmed erratically and the hedgehog had to cover his eyes to keep him from getting blind as another flash of light was emitted. This flash came with something of a light boom sound as the machine had literally blown up in his face. For a brief moment, a cloud of smoke was all that was left in its wake.

"Sonic-kun!" the girl yelped in shock and concern, "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay." Sonic coughed and waved his hands to dispel away the smoke. He was shocked by what he found when the dust settled, "Whoa…"

The ring generator prototype was destroyed beyond any sense of repair, what it had left in its wake was truly a surprise. Four golden rings shone through the remains of the machine that had made them. Each ring glowed with overflowing power. Sonic and Hayate both stared at them in awe. It was rare for the machine to make one, but four at once in such a short time?

"Pretty…" Hayate thought out loud.

"Yikes… the machine supposedly can generate rings by taking energy from the air." Sonic added, "There must be a lot of power being thrown around right now; if it goes kaput making four at once."

"You don't mean…" The brunette suddenly thought back to the one night in September when she first saw the generator create a ring. Sonic's words started to fill in the gaps and connect the dots, "They're fighting?"

"They're rumbling over something." Sonic replied in confirmation as he stowed the rings away and fetched Hayate's wheelchair, "And we're not going to sit on the sidelines here."

"Sonic-kun?" Hayate blinked rapidly in complete confusion as she was carefully lifted from her bed and into her chair.

"I told Signum I wouldn't get involved here, but things have changed." The hedgehog slowly wheeled the girl, "Your life is at stake now. All bets are off."

 **[University Hospital: Rooftop]  
-Time: 6:50 pm -  
[BGM: "It has come to this" Sonic and the Secret Rings OST]**

With the speed of the blue hedgehog true, the two reached the rooftop just in time to see the middle part of an epic clash. Nanoha and Fate were locked in intense duels with Vita and Signum respectively. They could also see Shamal and Zafira on the ground in front of them, apparently deep in focus of a spell. The nighttime sky had gained an ominous dark yellowish tint that had Sonic flashing back to the weird dome he saw a few months ago.

There was little doubt to Hayate as to who was who. Their clothing had changed, but there was no mistaking their faces. The stoic seriousness of Signum clashed with the undeterred Fate while the angry, rampaging Vita fought the equally determined Nanoha. Flashes of pink and red clashed with one another sporadically and without pattern. On the other hand, the yellow and purple streaks clashed at predicted, organized points, a testament to their skills.

Vita had shifted her hammer, Graf Eisen, to its Raketenform, where its head resembled a deadly missile. Nanoha's Raising Heart, in return, shifted to Bustercannon mode, resembling a spear with twin prongs at its head.

"Raketen…" Vita's rocket hammer ignited its propulsion engine and spun the knight in place. Without delay, she blasted off for her foe, "Hammer!"

" _ **Flash Move!"**_ Raising Heart Excelion declared an appropriate spell in kind that had Nanoha able to warp away just before she was hit by the hammer attack. Her momentum had given her excellent placement behind Vita.

"Divine Buster!" Nanoha, while she was in her rival's blind spot, fired a large pink beam of mana at her red-clad rival in order to catch her foe off guard.

" _ **Panzerschild!"**_ Graf Eisen responded in kind while his master held out her right hand. The beam, predictably so, collided with a red triangle-like glyph of shielding.

As explosive as Nanoha and Vita's battle had gone, so too did Fate and Signum's. Both of the two were locked in a heated dogfight which had their devices showcase the form changing ability. Fate's Bardiche had shifted to its Crescent form, resembling an energy scythe; while Signum had her Laevatein shifted to the bladed-whip mode, otherwise known as Schlangeform.

"Bardiche, Crescent Saber on my mark." The blonde quietly ordered of her device as she held up her crescent device.

" _ **Yes Sir!"**_ The device pinged in return.

"Laevatein!" Signum called out to her device sternly in return, "Load cartridge."

" _ **Explosion!"**_ declared the bladed whip as it racked the bolt at its handguard and jettisoned an empty shell from the breach.

Fate suddenly grunted and launched the blade from her scythe at Signum. The bladed whip gained a purplish fire as Signum countered with a mid-ranged offensive spell known as the Flying Dragon Flash. Blade and whip clashed in mid-air, both cancelling one another upon the impact. Undeterred, both combatants continued their furious battle.

"Why are they fighting?" Hayate looked around in panic and fear for her friends. To be fair for her, it was the first time she had truly seen the magic of her knights at work. It didn't change the fact that they were fighting with such dangerous ferocity.

"I thought I knew." Sonic answered softly with a small shrug, "but now, eh not so much."

"We have to do something or they'll hurt each other!" The brunette was close to tears, her fragile heart felt a strain over as her friends were, to her at least, senselessly fighting each other.

"I won't even need a ring for this." The hedgehog cracked his gloved knuckles and set the four rings on the handles for the wheelchair, "Just get their attention, I'll have them grounded in a second."

"O-okay…" Hayate acknowledged with a bit of caution, "Just be careful."

"No problem~!" The blue blur got into a runner's stance to ready himself.

"STOP!" the brunette shouted as loud as she could and despite her weak constitution, her voice was still able to travel through the open air.

Hayate's desperate shout had seemed to get a little bit of attention as Shamal had halted her concentration of the jamming spell over the battlefield. Sonic swiftly curled up into his spin form and bolted through the clashing Nanoha and Vita, using the Sonic Boom from his speed to knock both of them to the ground disoriented. Without any delay, he leaped off the side of the building his momentum took him to and repeated the same trick on Fate and Signum, with similar results.

The blue blur landed on top of a pole of the rooftop that was ravaged from one of Vita and Nanoha's clashes. While he was definitely shorter than everyone there by a significant margin, his elevation advantage allowed him to effectively glare at the grounded four with stern annoyance.

"I think I've let you girls play along more than enough for one night," He spoke with a tone to match how stern his glare was, "The next one to throw a spell is going on the naughty list."

* * *

 **[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Nana Mizuki, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's OST]**

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 3  
The Promise & Christmas Eve (Part 2)**

* * *

 **[Uminari City]  
[University Hospital: Rooftop]  
-Time: 6:52 pm-  
[No BGM]**

All eyes were on the hedgehog as his form shone in great contrast to the light of the night sky. Everyone had varying degrees of emotion. For the Wolkenritter, there was confusion but it was mixed with frustration and ire; both due to the fact that he went against his word to Signum and had intervened in their affairs. The confusion was more evident in Nanoha and Fate as they couldn't help but wonder whose side he was really on.

For Hayate, it was confusion and awe, both emotions were justified without a shadow of a doubt. It was her first time truly seeing the blue hedgehog in action. She was aware that he had speed, but to combine it with his hedgehog physiognomy and put it to use so effectively was awe-inspiring.

As for Sonic, he felt a little bit of remorse for having to go back on his word to Signum, but he didn't have much of a choice. The Book of Darkness was taking its toll on Hayate's life and every second that the Wolkenritter spent fighting could've been utilized in stopping the book. He also had taken notice of the fact that Nanoha and Fate were deathly concerned for Hayate once they had connected the dots and realized who she was. The hedgehog needed answers, and it just so happened that one of his new human friends wanted the fighting to stop, thus the intervention.

"Oy! Hedgehog!" Vita spat in pure rage as she bit back a curse, "What are you doing?!"

"You gave your word that you would not intervene," Signum regarded the hedgehog with a cold glare as she reminded him of his promise to her, "Yet, you intend to do such now. Are you aware of the consequences for your actions?"

"If the looks I'm getting from you didn't make it obvious." Sonic simply shrugged, unfazed by the tone and apparent killing intent he felt from the knights, "You might want to look behind you before you do anything drastic."

The hedgehog pointed a gloved finger directly behind the grounded mages and knights for emphasis. All eyes had immediately fallen upon the brown-haired, blue-eyed girl in the wheelchair. To her credit, Hayate had shivered a bit in discomfort from being the center of attention, but she still didn't look too happy. In fact, to those that knew her, she seemed sad, nearly heartbroken.

To see their master in such a state of sadness had nearly stripped the Wolkenritter of their will to fight. They knew how kind of a girl she was, and how peaceful she just wanted to live with her family. Her kindness was such an admirable trait and they had wanted to protect it; and yet, the girl whose happiness they wanted to protect was before them, sad and nearly heartbroken.

"Hayate-chan…" Shamal fought back the tears so bad when she saw the sad look in her mistress's face.

"Why?" Hayate composed herself enough to ask. Her knights had broken their promise to her; anyone else might've been more upset, but it wasn't in her character. She wanted to know the reason for the violence, "Why are you guys fighting?"

"Hayate-ojou-sama…" Signum's stoic demeanor had cracked upon seeing her kind mistress so saddened.

"I want to know…" The brunette fought back a tear. She wasn't the judgmental type, but the situation was trying for her mental state, "My friends are fighting to hurt each other, why?"

"We don't have a choice." Vita spoke up in honesty.

"Do you now?" Sonic shot back with a deadpan look. He jumped down from his pole and stared down each of the grounded mages and knights. For him, it was the time for answers, "I want the whole story now.

"And I want both sides this time." The hedgehog stared at both Nanoha and Fate. Were it not for the hedgehog's serious demeanor, the significant size disadvantage he was at might have made things a bit more comical, "Including yours…"

"E-eh?!" Nanoha could not help but blink her eyes in rapid confusion upon being put on the spot, "W-well..."

"We came here with the intention of stopping the Wolkenritter from completing the Book of Darkness" Fate said bluntly. She was mostly unfazed from the hedgehog's glare, "For the safety of their master…"

Both Nanoha and Fate started to explain their reasoning in full. They had been recently informed of a tragic event that would have occurred if the Wolkenritter were allowed to complete the book in the state it was in. Needless to say, the knights did not believe the story, but their disbelief was not unjustified. To think that all of the work and trouble they went through to complete the book for the sake of their master's safety, only to find out that it was going to kill her upon completion anyways?

"We don't know how it happened, but the book has been maliciously altered." Fate concluded her point with a regretful expression on her soft, kind face.

"And…. If you complete it now," Nanoha added with an equally saddened look, "Hayate-chan will die."

"But if we don't complete it, it's going to kill her!" Vita all but shouted. Her disbelief was most obviously expressed in her angry facial expression, "The Book of Darkness is killing Hayate!"

"For all the time it has been incomplete, the Book of Darkness has been feeding of Hayate-ojou-sama's core." Signum added, shooting a serious look at the accursed item in question, "Our mistress has been so kind, we couldn't allow it to harm her. That is why we've been collecting cores."

"That way the book will feed off of them" Shamal added softly, "Not off of Hayate-chan."

Nanoha and Fate seemed to believe the story as it added a likely motive. For Nanoha, it explained why Vita was so stubborn and protective. Fate believed it because she could feel the determination from Signum each time the two had clashed in battle.

For Hayate, she couldn't help but allow a smile on her kind face as the explanations made it clearer to her. The knights were trying to protect her; trying to save her life. She wasn't selfish, and she was regretful that other had to be harmed to protect her, but she couldn't just find fault with her knights for trying to protect something so dear to them.

In fact, the only one who seemed confused out of the group was the blue hedgehog. Sonic frowned a bit as he tried to make sense of the stories. The contradictions had made little sense to his mind. He was able to simplify it enough to a "damned if you do" and "damned if you don't" scenario. It just didn't make too much sense when he thought about it.

"Okay, I'm a little confused here." The hedgehog was quick to voice said confusion, "If the book isn't completed, it'll kill Hayate by draining her life… yet somehow it will kill her if it's complete?"

"Y-yeah…" Hayate nodded, though she had a tough time swallowing the story herself.

"That makes, like really, no sense!" Sonic threw up his arms in disbelief, "Would somebody mind explaining this to me?"

It seemed as if the hedgehog was about to have his request granted as the Book of Darkness suddenly lit up in a bright glow. A large, silver glyph resembling a spinning triangle appeared on the ground between the group. The book had placed itself, rather ominously in the middle of the glyph and opened up. Everyone had to shield their eyes as a small beam of light and following flash was emitted from the book.

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Shopping District]  
-Time: 6:59 pm-  
[No BGM]**

Three mages, Chrono, Lindy and Yuuno, along with one familiar, Alph, all soared over the city nightscape toward the University Hospital, on their way there after they had suddenly lost contact with Nanoha and Fate. All were worried over the condition of their friends, Alph even more so because she was Fate's familiar.

"Our last contact with Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan had them at the hospital." Lindy explained in a bit of exposition as they swiftly trekked through the skies, "They believe they can confirm the identity of the Book of Darkness's master. Our communication with them was interrupted before they could disclose the identity in question."

"Do you think the Wolkenritter may have jammed the communications?" Chrono asked in contemplative thought, "It would stand to reason for it if they didn't want their master's identity to be known to us."

"Highly likely," the admiral agreed with her son's speculation, "But we cannot be certain just yet until we find out more."

"Which is why we're flying there to check it out ourselves." Yuuno connected the dots easily. The young archeologist and defense-oriented mage tried to look on ahead to see if he could spot anything out of the ordinary, to little success.

"Fate…" Alph frowned in concern as she looked on ahead.

As the mages closed in on the hospital, they spotted a small beam of light from the rooftop. The beam wasn't exactly big, but its light color clashed against the nighttime sky and made it more prominent. It was obviously not something one would see every night.

"Not to point out the obvious," Yuuno commentated a bit awkwardly, "But I think that came from our destination."

"We should hurry." Lindy said in a serious tone as she focused on that beam with narrowed eyes.

"Right!" The other three nodded their heads and picked up the pace in their flight.

* * *

 **[University Hospital: Rooftop]  
-Time: 7:03 pm-  
[No BGM]**

The light had soon subsided to reveal a figure kneeling in the middle of the triangular glyph. It appeared to be a human woman with a rather buxom figure, long silver hair and crimson red eyes. Her attire consisted of a navy-colored, short-skirted mini dress with a golden yellow trim. On her hands were matching sleeveless gloves, cuffed at her wrist. She wore mismatched stockings; the right one reaching up to her thigh and the left barely reaching past her ankle. High heeled boots covered her feet, fitting the theme as well.

Immediately, the four Wolkenritter recognized the figure before them and dropped into a formal kneel out of respect. Nanoha, Fate and Sonic could only stare at the woman in confusion while Hayate stared in mild puzzlement. It was as if she had recognized the woman before, but she was having trouble figuring out where and when.

"The 'Master Program'…" Signum spoke softly, just enough for everyone else to hear, "The 'Will of the Book of Darkness'."

"I am The Tome." The silver-haired woman confirmed her status simply, "I serve as the Unison Device and Master Control, representing, as my Blazing General says, the 'Will'."

"I'm guessing you know what's going on here, then." Sonic presumed, "Bout the whole, uh, book killing the master thing?"

"You are correct, friend of the Mistress." The woman responded with a little hint of a smile; though it soon faded when she elaborated, "I am responsible for Hayate-ojou-sama's pain and suffering, and will be the eventual cause of her death, though not by choice.

"NachtWal, my defense program, has become corrupted and has changed the Tome from what it was originally, a benign storage medium, into what it is referred to now. As a result, I have been unwillingly devouring her core over the time the Book is not complete. This has been the case of previous masters; a cycle of activation, collection, destruction and reincarnation."

"Can't it be stopped?" Sonic asked, "Like, can't you stop the program, reset it or something?"

"Unfortunately, not on my own, not while incomplete." The woman shook her head in regret, "Once the Tome is complete, I can fully manifest myself into this realm. Only then, and with the help of the current master, can I try to reprogram the Tome."

"All right." The blue hedgehog smirked, "Then let's get working on that then."

Nanoha, Fate and even the Wolkenritter were surprised by Sonic's sudden turnaround. The former duo was concerned for Hayate's safety while the knights were concerned that the hedgehog's impulsive decision, while it would fulfil their duty, would have serious ramifications.

"Are you sure about this, Sonic-san?" Nanoha asked out of concern.

"Not to disagree with our duty to complete the Book, but even I have to question this decision." Signum added; her concern stemmed from the recent confirmation due to the master program's own admission.

"Oy! it's not like we have any other choice. I wanna save Hayate too." Sonic argued back with validity in his own point, "Besides, I have a hunch."

"How do you plan on assisting?" The woman asked as she stood up with the tome in her right hand. She was in favor of the hedgehog's plan if it would save the master. Her only concern was in the execution. "Outside of the Knight programs, everyone else here has had their core absorbed once already, it cannot be repeated."

"And the knights might be needed in case that book goes all screwy when it's complete." The hedgehog pondered for all of maybe five seconds before he held out his right hand, "Oh Hayate? One ring please!"

"Eh? Oh!" the brunette, a little unceremoniously so in surprise, grabbed a ring from the rung of her wheelchair and tossed it at the hedgehog, "Here!"

"Thank you~!" Sonic caught it on his index finger with a smirk. Despite the fact that the woman had towered over him in height, the hedgehog still maintained eye contact with her, "I was thinking of using this. These rings pack a lot of power. If I use this in coordination with some of my own power, it might be enough."

"You'd willingly sacrifice even a portion of your life force?" The master program asked, "Why?"

"Too many reasons, more than I can count, actually," The hedgehog replied with that serious look on his face, "Most importantly, I made a promise to her, and I can't keep it if she's gone."

"Fair enough." The woman opened the book to the first unfilled page, "Be careful of how much you allow to be absorbed. Too much will be fatal."

"Ok! Just promise me one thing," Sonic requested of the woman, "When you're complete, you will do everything you can to stop this program from killing Hayate."

"You have my word." The program acknowledged with a straight, serious face, "Hayate-ojou-sama will survive tonight."

"One last thing…" The hedgehog turned to face the girl in the wheelchair, "Hayate, are you okay with this?"

"Y-yeah." The brunette nodded firmly, her mind was likely set before she was asked, "If this will stop the Book's pain, then I want to help it too."

With nothing to hold him back, the hedgehog clenched the ring in a fist. Once again, its power enveloped his form and his energy flared up dramatically in a light blue aura. Without warning, he thrust his hand forward and pressed it against the empty page of the book. The Book of Darkness, in recognition of the offering, activated its absorption ability.

One by one, the pages rapidly filled themselves with energy and data from the hedgehog and ring combined. In a matter of seconds, the remaining fifty pages were filled. The book gave off a confirming indication as it completed. Sonic stumbled back a bit, feeling winded from the exertion despite the added boost of a ring.

"Sonic-kun!" Shamal immediately rushed to support the blue hedgehog in concern for his wellbeing, "Are you alright?"

"Hehe." The blue blur chuckled, "It'll take more than that to do me in."

Suddenly, the silver glyph around the master program and the book glowed brighter and Hayate was dragged into the middle of it. From there, the three were enveloped in a bright light that became a blinding pillar, forcing everyone on the outside shield their eyes.

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Shopping District]  
-Time: 7:05 pm-  
[No BGM]**

The light from the first flash had started to die down as the four mages had started to close in on the hospital. They had to stop for a moment as Alph had suddenly received a telepathic ping from her mistress, which had her stop to establish communication.

" _Fate!"_ The wolf woman called to her mistress, _"Are you alright?"_

" _I'm fine, Alph."_ The girl replied softly, _"Our communications were jammed briefly by the Wolkenritter, but things have calmed down now."_

" _What's going on?"_ Alph asked as she saw the others halt their flight, _"We were on our way to check on you when some li-!"_

Suddenly, a large flash of light emitted from the rooftop that had all of them shield their eyes to protect from going blind. There was little doubt that both lights were connected, it was only a question as to how.

" _Fate! That's the second time within the last 2 minutes!"_ Alph barked in annoyance from the interruption, _"What's going on over there?!"_

" _The Book of Darkness."_ Fate replied, _"It's complete!"_

"You've gotta be kidding me!" The wolf woman shouted in frustration; which was furthered even more when the telepathic line cut out.

"What's going on?" Yuuno asked, feeling a little bit worried.

"Fate says the Book is complete!" Alph replied, her frustration replaced with worry.

"We should hurry then." Lindy sternly declared, "Before it's allowed to kill its Master."

"Right!" The others simultaneously nodded.

Now pressed for time due to the completion of the Book of Darkness, the mages redoubled their speed and blazed off in flight towards the hospital. With lucky, they may arrive before anything deadly occurred.

* * *

 **[University Hospital: Rooftop]  
-Time: 7:10 pm -  
[No BGM]**

The light had died down once again, but Hayate was nowhere to be seen. Only the silver haired woman had remained with the Tome in her hand. Her outfit had changed into a sleeveless dress with purple trims along the body and a slit skirt that naturally revealed one of her legs. If there was any change in the woman's demeanor or any indication of foul play, no one on the rooftop could've seen it.

"Where's Hayate?" Sonic asked in concern, "Is she okay?"

"You need not worry. We are currently in a state of 'Unison'." The woman calmly stated to assuage the nerves of those present, "We have united with one another. In normal circumstances of this happening, the Master's body would've been used. However, she has been weakened physically and mentally from the Tome's damage to her core already. Such, that is why my form is used."

"Okay, that's cool, and some lovely exposition for the fanbase here." The hedgehog shook his head, "But that didn't answer the question of 'Where is Hayate'?"

"As of right now, she is inside the Tome with me." The device answered, "We're working on reprogramming it to stop the Defense Program, which has sensed the completion."

"And how can I be sure of that?" The hedgehog asked with some justifiable skepticism, "How can I be certain that Hayate's alive?"

"She wanted me to tell you that tonight's dinner will be chili-dogs." The woman replied, with a slight hint of mirth in her tone, "Your favorite kind too; with jalapenos, cheese and onions."

"Yay~!" Sonic was easily convinced, only Hayate would know of that particular combination in the hedgehog's favorite food.

" _I don't know how to react to this, Fate-chan…"_ Nanoha sent Fate a telepathic ping with a tone torn of indecision _"This seems petty… but to correct him would be rude."_

" _Agreed…"_ The blonde could only blink in soft exasperation, _"Well, I guess he is young."_

" _Fate-chan…"_ the girl in white retorted softly, _"We're not really able to talk on that one."_

" _Oh..."_ Fate's cheeks flushed a cute shade of pink.

By a show of great timing, the reinforcements from the Bureau, Alph, Chrono, Yuuno and Lindy, had arrived. Fate and Nanoha were quick to intercept and inform them that, for the moment, the situation was under control. Understandably so, Lindy had exercised caution as she approached the device in hopes of questioning her as to the degree of control.

"The Book of Darkness, I presume." The woman calmly addressed the device, "Though I doubt that's your real name."

"You are partly correct. Book of Darkness was not the Tome's original name." The device confirmed such, "Originally, it was called the 'Tome of the Night Sky'. But due to NachtWal's corruption, it has been given the cursed name.

"As for me…" A slight hint of sadness could be heard in the unison device's tone, "I've never had a name."

"Yowch, that's kinda sad." Sonic couldn't help but feel a bit of pity, "Even Eggman named his creations. He has no sense of naming logic, but that's beside the point."

' _Eggman, that name again…'_ It was then that Lindy had taken notice of the blue hedgehog that was closer to the glyph that the device had stood upon and chose to address him politely, "Excuse me, blue hedgehog-san."

"If you're going to call me something, can you please use my name?" The blue hedgehog requested, partly due to how awkward it felt to be called something like that, "I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Lindy Harlaown, Admiral of the Time-Space Administration," the older woman bowed politely and offered a warm, friendly smile in greeting, "You may call me 'Lindy', though."

"S-sure…" Sonic nodded, somewhat awkwardly.

Lindy carefully analyzed the hedgehog before her. She could tell that it would've been easy to underestimate him due to his small frame and young age, but she was well aware of the power he had within. Fate had told her when she arrived that it was Sonic who volunteered to help complete the book under the pretense that it would keep its master from dying. The revelation, while believable, still led the admiral to ponder the hedgehog's motives in the case. She had to put those question aside, however, as there was a far greater threat at hand.

* * *

 **[Within the Tome of the Night Sky]  
[No BGM]**

True to the unison device's word, Hayate had begun recuperating in the Internal Space, a sort of pocket dimension within the subconscious she shared with the Unison Device of the Tome of the Night Sky. As she rested, she could feel herself absorb the Tome's gathered power and knowledge. Due to that, she was made aware of the activities that the Wolkenritter had performed on their own, but wasn't really surprised.

With the power and knowledge also came the instinctive ability to use such, and she put it to work right away with a clever trick on the Tome's Defense Program. Much like a root user with a computer, Hayate had issued a top priority order on the program to perform a hard reboot. The command would not stop NachtWal completely, but it did buy her time.

The silver haired woman had been by her side the whole time. She couldn't help but feel amused by her young master's antics. At the same time, she was also glad to have a master as kindhearted as Hayate.

"You really don't have a name?" Hayate asked of her in genuine concern.

"I don't have a true name." The woman replied sadly, "I have only been known as the 'Unison Device', the 'Will', or the 'Master Program'. Those are all titles."

"If you'd like, I could give you one" the brunette offered kindly, "Something that fits you better."

"If that is what you desire," the device answered, "Then I will not oppose."

"Okay!" Hayate beamed with a bright smile. Truthfully, she had already started thinking of names when she first saw the woman and one particular name had stood out, "From now on, you shall be known as… 'The Blessed Wind: Reinforce' _._ "

"It would be an honor to accept the name and title, Master." The woman, aptly christened as Reinforce, smiled softly in gratitude, "Thank you."

"Your welcome." The kind brunette nodded, "Now, I don't think NachtWal will go down without a fight after we separate it. Do I get access to a weapon or armor?"

"Indeed, your unison with me grants access to a staff that has been a part of me for a long time, even though sometimes I forget it's there." Reinforce awkwardly admitted, "The Tome will let you create a copy should you require such. The Knight Clothing you will gain will be of your design. Focus on the image you want and let the Tome's magic do the rest."

Following Reinforce's directions, Hayate closed her eyes and drew a picture in her mind. The magic went to work immediately and enveloped her form. Her previous clothing had disappeared and was soon replaced by her Knight Clothing. The armor consisted of a black and gold trim mini-dress underneath a white two-part jacket, black fingerless gloves for her hands and plated boots for her feet; both bearing the same color scheme. Three pairs of black wings sprouted from her back and a cute white balmoral laid on top of her head.

The girl held out her right hand as a flash of silver light soon emitted. Once the light had settled, a staff laid in its place. The staff's overall body was yellow with a black trim; white bandages wrapped around the pole to make for an easy gripping. At the head of the staff was a golden full circle with three blades protruding outward from it in the pattern of a holy cross.

"Whoa…" Hayate said in awe as she admired the new outfit.

"It suits you, master." Reinforce said with a small but kind smile, "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," The girl smiled with confidence, "I'm ready."

The Tome appeared before the mistress by her mental call. Hayate waved her hand across and willed the book to open. Her tone was calm and a determined expression graced her face. If she felt nervous, she didn't let it be shown; she was determined to do her part.

"Master rights, initiated." She spoke softly as she ran her finger across a page to input a command, "Defense system, separate!"

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #5: Zafira]  
Name: Zafira  
Katakana: ****ザフィーラ** **(Za-fī-ra)  
Age: Unknown (Presumably in 20s)  
Gender: Male  
Height: 175 cm (in human form) 105 cm (In wolf form)  
Weight: 60 kg (Human), 40 (wolf)  
Color: Indigo White  
System: Ancient Belka  
Rank: AA  
Device: None**

 **[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #6: Eins]  
Name: Reinforce Eins  
Katakana: ****リインフォースⅠ** **(Ri'-in-fō-su Ainsu)  
Master: Hayate Yagami  
Age: Unknown (presumably in her 20s)  
Gender: Female  
Height: 165 cm  
Weight: 52 kg  
Color(s): Purplish Black, White  
System: Ancient Belka  
Device(s): Tome of the Night Sky, Nacht  
Rank: S+ (Synthetic)**

* * *

 **[Uminari City]  
[University Hospital: Rooftop]  
-Time: 7:20 pm-  
[BGM: "Anger" Sonic Colors DS Version]**

The glyph at Reinforce's feet suddenly turned from silver to a dark purple and darkness began to form on her left arm. A large gauntlet formed from the dark and covered part of her forearm. As the gauntlet took form, a chain wrapped around the woman's arm and four snakes wrapped around the gauntlet. Everyone present could easily have felt the darkness that the equipment gave off.

Sonic took a defensive stance from his position, his eyes going between the woman and the rings he had left on Hayate's vacated wheelchair. If the other mages had noticed his behavior, only Lindy chose to take note of it in her mind and file it away for later reference.

Curiously, the woman before them did not appear to be concerned by the sudden appearance. Rather, she seemed to be expecting it; likely due to what was going on within the Tome's programming. The woman looked at the new equipment with a somber, regretful expression.

"NachtWal… You and I have suffered much over the years during this vicious cycle of destruction and reincarnation." Reinforce's tone was soft, possibly kind as she lamented, "But, the cycle ends tonight. Your pain will be put to rest."

Without delay, the woman grabbed the gauntlet in her right hand and pulled it off, ignoring the pain it had caused. She gave NachtWal one last look of regret before she threw the gauntlet with an astounding amount of strength behind her arm. The gauntlet sailed through the air and into the ocean.

"Whoa!" Even Sonic was impressed by the feat of strength, "Nice throw."

"That won't stop it." Reinforce said as she looked down at the chain that remained on her left arm, "NachtWal may be separated from the Tome, but we still have to destroy it."

An ominous feeling fell upon everyone present as they looked out into the ocean where the program had landed. Darkness slowly rose from the waters and slowly took shape. A large purple orb was formed with the snakes from before encircling it. Although it felt incomplete, everyone, even Sonic, could feel the overwhelming power it gave off.

"…" The hedgehog fell silent, watching the orb. He could feel his hands tremble slightly, but he kept his cool.

"What's happening?" Nanoha asked nervously as she could feel the ground shake from the rooftop.

"NachtWal's form is becoming unstable." The device answered with a hardened gaze, "It's taking all of the cores from the creatures the Tome has absorbed so far and combining them."

"We've absorbed the cores of many monsters within the past few months," Signum elaborated, "We minimized the number of human cores we sought after, only going after the ones with a significant potential of power."

"The rest were all monsters or creatures from other worlds." Vita added, "Dragons, worms… pretty much anything that could've posed a threat to the world's local populace."

"Now it's combining the cores you've gathered." Reinforce noted, "We have to destroy it before it's allowed to rampage."

"Any ideas?" Chrono queried to the general gathering.

"We could hit it really hard?" The blue hedgehog answered without missing a beat. He immediately was put on the defensive when everyone shot him a weird look, "What? It works for me."

"A coordinated assault would do some damage, but with all of the mana around it, NachtWal will be able to regenerate." The silver haired woman shook her head, "We need something capable of dealing a massive amount of damage in a very short period and bypass the regeneration factor."

"How about an orbital magic cannon?" Lindy offered, "The Arthra, our vessel, happens to have one capable of that."

All but Chrono sent the Lindy a weird look, but the woman was undeterred by it and started to elaborate her point. The Arthra, the Time-Space Administration spaceship that was currently in orbit of Earth, had been retrofitted with a powerful magic cannon known as the Arc-en-ciel. As the ship's captain explained, the vessel had to undergo maintenance for the cannon to be installed at the behest of Admiral Gil Graham. Apparently, he had planned to use the cannon on the Book of Darkness when it was complete, provided that it was also out of control.

With the overwhelming power that the Arc-en-ciel had, it was natural that there would be some limitations. Namely, it would have to be fired with the ship captain's key. Lindy Harlaown was the captain, but she was in the field. Though that problem had an easy solution of the admiral simply teleporting herself back onto the ship, it would leave the gathered collective to attack NachtWal one short at a time when numbers mattered.

The one who voiced the problem regarding the Arc-en-ciel was Amy Limietta, a brown-haired female teen who had appeared in a view screen call with the Admiral. Lindy, for her part, listened to her subordinate from the ship calmly.

"I'm aware that you will need as many competent forces on the ground, but we need you up here." Amy voiced somewhat wary, "A majority of our forces are still recovering from the previous incident, so it's just us up here on the bridge."

"Is the cannon operational?" The woman asked.

"Yes," the girl confirmed, "But we still need you up here to fire it."

"Correction, you will need the key and authorization from the captain of the ship." Lindy aptly countered, "Take a look at your desk."

There was some activity in the background as the young teen had apparently done what the admiral requested. The girl returned to the call and had a look of absolute shock on her face.

"Why's your key on my desk, admiral?!" Amy asked in surprise.

"In the event that the commander in charge of a vessel is rendered unable to perform their duty on board. The command will fall to someone directly below them." Lindy couldn't stop the light smile from gracing her lips, "You are my direct subordinate and a very competent officer. I could hardly think of a better candidate."

"T-thank you…" The teen's face hardened in determination after her awkward acceptance, "I won't let you down."

Lindy had returned to her thoughts after the video call had ended. Truthfully, it would've been simpler for her to teleport up to the Arthra, but something in her heart disagreed. The woman gazed out at the ominous purple orb in the ocean. She and Chrono both had something personal driving them.

11 years ago, was the last time the Book of Darkness had been completed. The tome had gone out of control and was poised to start a rampage across many worlds in the sea of dimensions. That, however, never came to pass thanks largely to the sacrifice of the Time-Space Administration "Estia". Estia's captain, Admiral Clyde Harlaown, was Lindy's husband and Chrono's father. His death, however noble, still left the mother and child saddened.

' _Clyde…'_ The woman thought to herself in memory as she looked at the device in her right hand.

The woman's device, codenamed "Durandal: The Staff of Freeze", was a blue and white staff with two nozzles and fins at the neck. A dark blue kite shaped crystal laid between the fins at the neck of the staff and the head, which resembled a spear or icicle. There were blue snake-like marks above and below the gem and they were also present in the fins at the neck.

' _Tonight.'_ Lindy said to herself in determination as her eyes lingered once again on the ever-changing purple orb, _'It ends tonight.'_

Suddenly, Reinforce knelt down as a bright silver light enveloped her form. The aforementioned unison ended due to Hayate's complete recuperation. Hayate, clad in her new Knight Clothing, appeared beside the still kneeling Reinforce. Her sudden appearance had surprised them all.

"Nice duds." Sonic complimented her with a smirk.

"Thanks." The girl gave a modest smile in recognition.

"How are you feeling, Hayate-chan?" Nanoha asked in relief and concern.

"Better, thank you. I'm sorry if I worried all of you." Hayate smiled softly with a bow, "I heard what we're planning, and I'd like to help."

"Are you ready to perform the Unison again, Master?" Reinforce queried upon seeing the determined look.

"Yeah," Nodded the brunette as she raised her staff to the stars. Her voice incanted softly, "Bless the light of the night sky. Reinforce, Unison in!"

Reinforce, in acknowledgement of the master's orders, turned herself into a glowing silver orb and flew into Hayate's body. For a brief moment, there was a flash as the girl's body was enveloped in the light. It had soon subsided, revealing Hayate, albeit with glowing sandy-blonde hair and sky-blue eyes. Her expression seemed unchanged and unwavering.

"This feels much better." Hayate smiled as she looked over herself, _"Reinforce, can you hear me?"_

" _Yes."_ Confirmed the unison device within their shared mind-space, _"The Unison was successful."_

"Good!" The master nodded her head and looked amongst the rest of the gathered forces, "Is everyone ready?"

With the notable exception of Sonic, the others gathered had confirmed their status. The blue hedgehog in question was occupied counting out the rings he planned to use for the battle. He nabbed two and stowed them in the cuffs of his gloves before rejoining the group.

"Ready!" Sonic affirmed with a smile and cute salute.

"Um…" Nanoha raised a finger; there was something that had concerned her about the hedgehog, "You can't fly, can you?"

"No…" The hedgehog's eyebrow twitched.

"And you can't swim." Vita also aptly countered, noting that the battle was apparently going to take place over the Sea of Japan.

"Hehe... no…" There was no shortage of embarrassed shame as the hedgehog found himself observing the reds of his shoes.

"Vita-chan, don't be mean," Shamal kindly took the hedgehog's side and offered a very valid point, "I'm sure he's light enough for any of us to carry."

"Also, Reinforce believes he could do a lot of damage," Hayate offered as well, "So I think we should let him help."

The point made by Reinforce and Hayate had rendered any further arguments against letting Sonic help null. Since Shamal would be doing less actual fighting than the others present, it would make sense for her to carry the hedgehog over to the battle site. With the plans set, the group took off in flight.

* * *

 **[Battle: VS NachtWal -Monster form]  
[BGM Insert: "Sacred Force" Nana Mizuki, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the MOVIE 2** **nd** **A's]  
\- AN: **_**Lyrics in Romaji**_ _(Translation in English)_

Mechanical tentacles sprouted from the dark orb as the mages began their approach. Their plan was to attack in waves and leave little pause. Each attacking wave would attack with a high-powered spell of their specialty. They anticipated that NachtWal, being a defense program, would likely project as many barriers it could muster to deter them, hence the wave formation. Alph, Yuuno and Zafira, designated as the first wave, flew over the orb as it slowly took shape.

"We'll provide support until the core is exposed," The wolf woman said to the other two as they took a triangle formation surrounding the orb, "We have to pin it down."

"Yeah!" Yuuno agreed without missing a beat.

"Got it." Zafira added.

Before any of them could act, geysers formed upward in the sea as dark purple streams of light soared to the sky. It appeared that NachtWal's transformation was about to finish. The aura of foreboding could be felt by all present; it was almost sickening.

"It's begun…" Chrono observed.

"The program that gave rise to the name, the cursed 'Book of Darkness'…" Hayate added calmly as the orb suddenly burst open, "NachtWal's infective destructive form… The 'Book of Darkness's darkness itself."

The orb dispersed finally to reveal the towering, chimeric amalgamation of limbs that was NachtWal. A behemoth borne afloat the waves of the ocean with at least six tree-like limbs anchoring itself. Protruding from the front of its bulbous body was a many-eyed head dominated by a gaping maw with razor sharp fangs. Rising above the abomination's fearsome visage were a pair of three-pronged serrated claws. Further behind the claws were a pair of massive gray wings that lay just behind a massive blueish ring. Ahead of both wings and ring was a serpentine tendril with the torso of a topless humanoid female with a mask covering the top part of her face and as dark mesh material covering the female's exposed vital points. The large ring glowed ominously with malign radiance as the monstrosity let out a bestial roar.

"Uh…" Sonic tapped his quilled head in thought as his arm was carried by Shamal in flight, 'You'll have to come back to me for a quip later, cause I got nothin'."

"Pay attention, Sonic-kun." Shamal softly requested, "You'll see a full display of our magic here."

NachtWal let out another feral roar as metallic snakes and tentacles started to flail wildly. Perhaps it was fortune, or simply due to the program lacking any sort of brain or real intelligence, but the flailing parts did not even come close to hitting those airborne.

"Caging Circle!" Yuuno called out as a green circular glyph appeared in front of him.

"Chain Bind!" Alph followed up as a similar but orange glyph materialized before her.

Yuuno's Caging Circle spell materialized as a large green circle that encased the monstrosity within. Alph's Chain Bind followed suit and wrapped around each leg of the beast. Orange chains appeared from the bindings on each leg and connected them to the large green circle.  
 _ **Seiya heno kane ga nariwataru ten kara chi heto yuuki wo tamesu**_ _(A bell rings for the Holy Night)_

"Trap it, Steel Yokes!" Zafira called out as an indigo-white triangular glyph appeared at his feet.

A multitude of spikes fell from the sky above Zafira's position with a high velocity. The spikes, or yokes as Zafira's spell indicated, pierced through several parts of NachtWal's body and anchored themselves like stakes into the ground. They had appeared to have done their job as the monster roared out in pain.  
 _ **Seikou no shirushi kakagetara mirai no flare furikazase**_ _(Testing courage from Heaven to Earth)_

NachtWal struggled to move its legs and break free of the orange chains and silver stakes. The humanoid face contorted and screamed in pain. As it had resisted, the Chain Bind and Steel Yokes started to break, but the Caging Circle stayed in place and confined the monster within its boundary. The behemoth had started to take its own offensive, firing off beams at the departing trio, but it failed to connect on any of them as they were flying too fast.

 _ **Chiisana sono te ni takusareta nanika ga tatoe omoku tomo**_ _(Once you raise the star, brandish the flare of the future)  
_ _ **Tsunaida ai mo nigirishime**_ _(Even if that which was entrusted to your small hands is heavy)_ _ **  
saa… ima tashikameau shinjitsu wo (**_ _Hold tightly this connected love and let's go confirm the truth)_

The behemoth let out another fearsome roar as the claws fired off a round of beams at the gathering of mages on the approach. None of the blasts came close to connecting as the mages dispersed their formation and started their true offensive attack.

"Forward team, coming in!" Shamal declared, "Nanoha-chan, Vita-chan, please!"

 _ **Kanashimi mo yorokobi mo subete boku wa seou koto akiramenai**_ _(I won't give up anything, be it sorrow or joy)_

"Right!" The gothic loli sent her former rival a pointed look and blushed a little bit, "Back me up… Takamachi Nanoha."

 _ **Yowaki wo shiru kara tsuyoku naru**_ _(I know what it means to be weak so I can be strong)_

"Huh?" The girl in white had to almost double-take as she had realized something. Vita actually pronounced her name correctly, "Sure!"

 _ **Mamoru to chikaun da kizuna wo mune ni Sacred Force**_ _(I swear to protect it with bonds in my heart, the Sacred Force)_

"Let's go, Eisen!" Vita called out to her device.

" _ **Gigant Form!"**_ Responded the device as it loaded two cartridges and changed modes. The hammer part grew in size and the face became octagonal like a sledge, as opposed to the usual cylindrical shape reminiscent of a polo mallet.

Undeterred by Graf Eisen's weight, Vita soared towards the monstrosity to get herself in position. Nanoha flew behind her to support her flank position. As they flew, she sent Raising Heart a wordless command to shift forms into the Full Drive, Excelion Mode. Due to the device already being in Bustercannon mode like before, there wasn't much change aside from the head widening and the prongs moving closer to closely resemble a spearhead. A rocket engine equipped itself at the end tip for the mode's Accelerate Charge System, or "A.C.S" for short. Mana fins generated at the neck, though they resembled sickles more.

"Axel Shooter, vanishing shift!" Nanoha called out to her device as they soared.

" _ **Lock On!"**_ Raising Heart pinged as the device's HUD displayed several target reticules over the snake and tentacles that laid in Vita's path.

" _ **Seigi" "yume" donna kotoba demo**_ _(Be it justice or your dreams)_ _ **  
"shinjiru" dakara honmono ni naru**_ _(They only turn real once you believe in them)_

One of the snakeheads fired a blast at Nanoha, but the girl was quick to defend with a pink barrier. Several pink bolts appeared at the girl's side in immediate succession and they were quickly fired off with Nanoha's command. The bolts arced over Vita with uncanny precision and took out the snakes and tentacles that bared the loli knight's path.

 _ **Ankoku no yami wa itsu no hi mo imawashii kage ni oborou no**_ _(It is the darkness that always lies underneath the shadow of doubt)_

With the cover fire provided by her former rival, Vita was able to navigate herself above the behemoth. A few bolts of darkness had tried to pick her off from the air, but they were quickly negated by well-timed pink bolts from Nanoha. Both girls shared a look of recognition as Vita had acknowledged that she had Nanoha's support and was free to attack.

 _ **Nando demo kitto tachiagari**_ _(We'll stand up as many times as it takes)_ _ **  
soukyuu no toki wo egakun da**_ _(To clear up the skies)_ _ **  
Yuuen to utau tame ippo wo**_ _(It's time to take the first step of many)_

"THUNDERING… EXPLOSION!" Vita shouted to the heavens as she stood on a red triangular glyph and spun in place. Eisen loaded several cartridges as it grew size to an even more massive form. The hammer was bigger than the monstrosity itself. In addition, the handle extended to allow for easy reach

 _ **AH… ima tokihanatou kono chikara (**_ _Ah… Let's unleash this power now!)_

"GIGANT SCHLAG!" The knight nearly screamed as she slammed the hammer down upon the monstrosity.

 _ **Shinwa heto kawaru ichi peeji boku wa sou issho ni kakenuketai (**_ _I want to create a legend together with you)_

The massive hammer had combined the torque from its wielder's movements with the natural gravity pull that came with such a heavy weight. Though contact was inevitable, the behemoth pulled up two barriers, one pink and the other yellow, just at the point of impact. It didn't matter much, though, as the hammer had enough power to shatter the upper pink barrier and partially sink the monstrosity into the water.

 _ **Migite niwa kimi no hidarite wo**_ _(With your hand in mine)_ _ **  
Namida wa mada hayai kitto kirameku Precious Star**_ _(I'll believe that our precious star will surely shine)_

 _ **(Instrumental Chorus)**_

"Signum, Fate-chan!" Shamal, with no delay, called out for the next wave to begin their attack run.

The sunken claws and snakeheads soon rose and fired off beams of darkness at the aforementioned duo as they made their own approach. Signum and Fate flew close to one another to share a few words.

"Let's go, Testarossa." The older woman declared.

"Yes, Signum." The blonde replied softly but surely.

As Fate began her approach, Bardiche Assault answered to her wordless command to activate the Full Drive, Zanber Form. Spikes emerged from the top of the head to form a new trident shape. The trident served as the hilt for a massive blade of pure mana, causing the device to resemble a claymore. With a mighty swing of the new blade, Fate sent a shockwave of lightning at the behemoth and sliced of several tentacles and snakes to cover her approach.

After a brief pause to watch her rival get into position on the other side of the amalgamation, Signum calmly conjured a purplish-pink triangular glyph to stand on and drew her blade from its sheath. Strangely, she did not dismiss the sheath, instead she held it in one hand and held the blade so that she could insert the hilt into it.

" _ **Bowgenform!"**_ Laevatein declared as it loaded a cartridge and the sheath and hilt combined. The device briefly glowed as the hilt and blade changed shape to a mighty bow with the string generated by mana.

Signum pulled the string back and generated an arrow out of mana, ready to fire at will. At the same time, Fate held her claymore close to her and a flash of lightening ran through the massive blade

"Kakaeru, Hayabusa! (Fly, falcon!)" The taller woman commanded with absolute authority.

" _ **Sturmfalken!"**_ pinged the bow device in response as several cartridges were loaded and the knight's aura flared in absolute power

"Break through, Raijin! (Thunder god)" Fate called out

" _ **Jet Zanber!"**_ declared Bardiche as purplish lightning sparkled off the blade with pure power.

In pure synchronicity, Signum let the arrow fly and Fate took a devastating hack at the beast. The burning arrow pierced through the barrier and exploded upon impact in the center. Shortly thereafter, the blade came down and cut through the yellow barrier and dealt direct damage. Both attacks caused a severe amount of pain and forced NachtWal to lose its balance and slowly sink. For a moment, it seemed as if the monster was down, but not out.

"Did we do it?" Alph asked in hope.

"I don't think so!" Yuuno indicated such.

The gathered mages had to disperse rapidly again as NachtWal let out a massive roar and fired off a volley of aimless spells at them. Shamal, forgetting for a moment that she was carrying the blue hedgehog, rapidly darted away from a blast, much to the hedgehog's annoyance.

"Oy!" Sonic aptly called her out for forgetting his presence, "Warn me before you do that!"

"Sorry!" The medic apologized on the spot, feeling a bit guilty, "I'm not used to carrying others in flight."

NachtWal once again roared as its wings soon propelled it to flight with the legs unable to support much of its weight anymore. As it took flight, three layers of light blue mana took form and shielded the monster in a bubble.

"Sonic-kun, it's shielding itself again." Shamal sent the hedgehog a pointed look as an idea came to her, "If I get you into a good position, do you think you can do something about it?"

"No problem~!" Sonic replied with a wink.

The medic soared higher up the monster, thankfully undeterred as the monster seemed incapable of attacking while its' efforts were put into the shielding array. Once she got to a high enough angle of arc, Shamal allowed the hedgehog to swing off her arm to build momentum. At the highest arc of her swinging arm, she released Sonic into the air.

"All right~!" Sonic beamed as he held his pair of rings in each corresponding hand. His power flared up even more than usual, likely due to the double amount of absorption than usual. The hedgehog allowed himself to freefall as he probed his mind.

"Uh… okay I got nothin' in the cool spell name department." The blue hedgehog had a comical look of awkwardness on his face that soon gave way to his usual cockiness as his power boost flared up his light-blue aura, "I can put a little "spin" on things. Go!"

Power flowed through Sonic as he curled up as tight as he could into his spin form and his quills sharpened themselves by will to their limit. With hypersonic speeds and spikes sharp enough to cut through solid metal, the blue ball cut through the barriers like they were made out of papier-mache. Sonic didn't allow his attack run to simply end there though as he utilized his speed and momentum to cut through NachtWal's wings, legs, ring; and even penetrated through the main body! As he pierced through the body and into the core, the hedgehog could feel his quills briefly shred through some sort of iron chain; while it felt weird, it didn't deter him so he simply shrugged it off.

Unknown to him, Reinforce felt some sort of tug to her left arm as the corresponding chains suddenly shattered, leaving only a red mark to indicate where they originally were.

' _No way…'_ The unison device allowed herself to be briefly shocked, though she shrugged it off so her mistress would not be worried.

The hedgehog blazed his way out of the body as NachtWal fell. Unfortunately for him, the power boost generated from his ring energy had soon faded, disrupting his aerial momentum. Naturally, Sonic's expression turned into a comical one of fear.

"Uh-oh~…" Sonic gulped as he looked down to find that gravity had reminded him of its laws as it pulled him straight down into the water. He tried to run in place as a futile attempted to stop his fall, but comically failed, "Crap baskets!"

Unable to do anything, the hedgehog closed his eyes in preparation for the inevitable impact and splash that was to follow. Time seemed to slow down as if to tease Sonic with suspense. He could feel the breeze of the waves coming closer and closer until…

"Oy!" A female voice shocked Sonic out of his stupor as his fall was broken, "You can open your eyes now, goofball."

Sonic slowly opened his eyes in acknowledgement of the voice's request. He could see the waves of the ocean just below his pointed red shoes. Registering the familiarity of the female voice, the hedgehog looked up to find that Vita had easily carried him by the wrist.

"Vita! Thank you~!" Sonic immediately expressed his gratitude, "I owe you one!"

"I'd say we're even after what you did for Hayate," The knight said, but soon had a sinister smirk to her cute face, "But since you insist, I'll put it on your tab and make you pay me back with a favor later."

 _ **Soshite bokutachi wa taisetsu na nanika wo mitsukeru yo…**_ _(Thus, we find something precious)_

' _Those two…'_ Shamal thought with a giggle. Her focus was re-centered on the battle at hand as she looked up to her mistress, "Hayate-chan!"

 _ **Kyoumeishiau concerto**_ _(A resonating concerto)_

The sandy-blonde girl had positioned herself above NachtWal with a silver glyph at her feet. Her staff was in her right hand while the Tome of the Night Sky was open in her left. Hayate's eyes were closed as she and Reinforce focused on the spell that they wanted.

 _ **Ah…**_ _(Ahhhhh~)_

"Rise from beyond, mistletoe branch." Hayate's voice softly incanted

"Become spears of the silver moon and break through!" Reinforce added within the shared mind scape with her posture mirroring her master's.

 _ **ima tashikameau shinjitsu wo (**_ _And see the truth for ourselves)_

A dark cloud swirling cloud formed between Hayate and the Defense Program. Eight spheres of light soon formed and glowed along with the glyph. The large spherical lights seemed to line themselves up with the body of the behemoth.

 _ **Kanashimi mo yorokobi mo subete**_ _(Be it happiness or sorrow)  
_ _ **boku wa seou koto akiramenai**_ _(I will not abandon anything)_

"Petrifying spears…" Hayate raised her staff as she and Reinforce finished the spell incantation at the same time, "Misteltein!"

 _ **Yowaki wo shiru kara tsuyoku naru**_ _(I find my strength because I know my weakness)_ _ **  
Mamoru to chikau'n da kizuna wo mune ni**_ _(I promise to protect you with our bond firmly in my heart)_

The girl lowered the staff down in indication and the spheres took the shape of spears and descended upon the Defense Program. At the point-blank range, the Misteltein spells impacted every portion of the body and the petrifying part of its name soon took hold as the monster turned to stone before everyone's eyes. Gravity took over once again and pulled the stone statue of the monster into the water.

 _ **Egao to kyou ni…**_ _(And with a smile on my face)_ _ **  
dakishimesasete Sacred Force**_ _(Let me embrace you, my sacred force)_ _ **  
Saa… hajimari heto tabidatou**_ _(And take you to where it all begins)_

 **[Insert ends, No BGM]**

Slowly, but surely, the monster rose from the water and the magic around it enabled a notably slow regeneration. Though as the creature regenerated, its form became much more monstrous and chaotic. Just like the behemoth would not go down without a fight, neither would the mages.

Lindy and Chrono stood next to one another, the former held out her staff as a cold mist enveloped them both. Their synchronized breaths of air could be seen as they readied themselves for a combined attack.

"Chrono-kun," Lindy spoke to her son, "It's our turn."

"Understood!" The boy affirmed as he raised his staff up to the air, conjuring at least one hundred blades of pure mana, "Stinger Blade, execution shift!"

Without delay, Chrono let the volley fall upon the Defense Program. Due to NachtWal's massive size, its agility was null and rendered it unable to avoid as all one hundred blades pierced and anchored it in place. The Stinger Blade allowed for the enforcer's mother to ready her own spell.

Lindy raised her staff and hardened her gaze. Four spear heads, resembling the tip of Durandal positioned themselves above the behemoth. The cold intensified, but the woman did not falter. For her, it was time for justice.

"Freeze!" The woman thrust her device down and out towards the pinned monstrosity

" _ **Eternal Coffin!"**_ Pinged the device in a male voice.

Immediately, a flash of frost and ice shot from the device and impacted the program. The four spearheads acted as mirrors to re-direct the beams back onto NachtWal. In no time, the behemoth was frozen solid. Lindy knew that while her attack was effective, it was only a matter of time before the monster could recover.

"Nanoha, Fate, Hayate!" The woman called out to the trio.

Nanoha, Fate and Hayate seemed to be one step ahead of the woman's planning as they were already above the monster in a triangular formation. Their respective glyphs of pink, yellow and silver glowed in the dark below their feet.

" _ **Starlight Breaker."**_ Raising Heart Excelion declared as a large pink orb gathered from the loose mana left over from the high-powered spells fired off prior.

"Zenryouku zenkai (Maximum power)!" Nanoha shouted as she raised her device in the air, "Starlight…"

" _ **Plasma Zanber."**_ Bardiche declared as lighting struck the device and enveloped both itself and Fate in power.

"Raikou Issen (Flash of Lightning)!" Fate called out as she readied herself to bring her device upon the frozen program, "Plasma Zanber!"

"Sorry, rest in peace…" For a moment, Hayate bowed her head in remorse for her incoming spell. The girl raised her staff as orbs of black and silver flowed into it and a much larger triangular glyph appeared. At each end of the glyph was a sphere of light. "Resound, horn of the end. Ragnarok!"

"BREAKER!" All three called out at the same time as they each lowered their devices and triggered the spells.

Simultaneously, a barrage of beams was unleashed from the trio's glyphs. Fate's took the form of a powerful beam of lighting mana, Nanoha's was a massive, gigantic blast and Hayate's was three beams that combined. Each blast was intensely as powerful and potent as the other and they all impacted the frozen program with nothing to stop them.

Everyone present, with the exception of the trio, had to cover their eyes from the resounding bright flash of light that resulted from the resounding impact and boom of the three breakers. As the monster's body was engulfed and torn apart by the blasts, Shamal carefully watched the humanoid part through her Mirror of Travels as it broke apart to reveal NachtWal's core

 **[BGM Insert: "Arc-en-ciel" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The MOVIE 2** **nd** **A's OST]**

"Found it!" the medic shouted as she isolated the core with the help of Klarwind in the form of a pendulum.

"Long-distance transfer!" Yuuno held out his hand and focused his power

"Target on track!" Alph added as she did the same

Yuuno and Alph's magic glyphs appeared respectively below and above the exposed core as they began their transfer spell. The core of the program was suddenly shot up into space where the Arthra laid orbit.

* * *

 **[Arthra: Bridge]  
[BGM: "Arc-en-ciel"]**

Amy Limietta oversaw as her tech team tracked the core of the Defense Program in teleport as it flew towards the vessel's firing range.

"The core is coming!" One male tech observed as he typed at his terminal.

"It's regenerating as well!" The other tech added, "But it's going slower than normal."

With all of the damage the core's body had taken, its regenerative factor should've allowed it for a swifter recovery, but something seemed to be off. The staff on the Arthra held no issue with that as they reasoned it would make a perfect sitting duck for the Arc-en-ciel.

Before Amy's eyes' the firing lock system opened and magical energy took the form of a massive orb at the pronged tips of the vessel. The captain's key felt heavy in her small, youthful hands as she watched a red cubic array appear with an opening in the middle for the key.

"Arc-en-ciel…" The girl gave no hesitation as she inserted the key and gave it a turn, "Fire!"

 **[No BGM]**

Silence filled the void of space as the Arthra's cannon fired the Arc-en-ciel. A beam shot from the massive orb and made contact with the unrecognizable form of the Defense Program's core, enveloping it wholly in a massive explosion that generated a huge burst of light.

Meanwhile on earth, the mages, knights, familiar and one hedgehog all watched silently as they saw the light from the cannon envelop NachtWal's form wholly. Each of them stared with a determined expression. Not even Sonic had anything to say, his focus was locked on the scene above, waiting impatiently for what was to come of the Arthra's blast.

* * *

 **[Ending: "Mi-Ra-I" Run & Gun, Sonic X OST]  
[End of Chapter 3]**

 **Author's Note:** Another cliffhanger! HA! HA! Did anyone really thing I would show the result after that much buildup and that massive a fight scene? Nice try folks! Find out next time!


	4. Chapter 4

SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in chapter 4 of Wind of the Night Sky… I have to say, the NachtWal battle was, and likely will be, the best battle I have ever written, and I thank everyone for the reviews. but now, the show must go on. As usual I don't own any canon characters.

 **[Earth]  
[No BGM]**

"Arc-en-ciel…" Amy Limietta narrowed her eyes at NachtWal's core as she inserted the captain's key into the firing lock and turned, "Fire!"

Silence filled the empty void of space as the Arthra fired a massive blast at the core. Defenseless, what was left of NachtWal was engulfed in the beam and a massive explosion occurred from the impact. A harsh flash of light was emitted from the point of the explosion that had the crew on the ship cover their eyes. Smoke and dust gathered from the blast and blocked the field of vision.

A feeling of suspense fell upon those in the ship and on the planet surface as they watched the dust slowly settle. The suspense was trying to even the most patient of those gathered, but especially brutal for Sonic, who was not the most patient boy around. He held himself back though, knowing full well that going off on something wouldn't improve the situation.

After what felt like a millennium for Sonic, but merely less than fifteen seconds in real-time, the dust and smoke had dissipated, revealing nothing. What was once a benign defense program turned corrupt monstrosity was nothing but specks of dust that soon faded into the empty vacuum of space. NachtWal, the defense program that had been the cause of the Tome of the Night Sky's pain and corruption, had been obliterated.

 **-Victory-  
[Jingle: "Act Clear" Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)]**

The crew on the bridge were the first to celebrate the victory as they were the first to see the results. Arms were waving, voices were raised, and if not for the fact that the techs were on the bridge of a spaceship, drink glasses would've been raised too. Amy had to let out a breath that she didn't even realize she held in relief.

While the Arthra's crew had started to celebrate, the group on earth were not too far behind. As usual, Sonic was the first to celebrate with a cute little breakdance trick and a pose to go with it. For some reason, the others could've swore they heard the blue hedgehog whistling something as well. Still, the posing drew some fawning gazes from Nanoha and Hayate.

Reinforce and Hayate had cancelled their unison shortly after the latter had started to experience some fatigue. The taller woman had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before her mistress collapsed, but she was relieved that it was all over. With NachtWal gone, so too ended the cycle of death, destruction and rebirth.

The Wolkenritter allowed themselves to breathe a collective sigh of relief as the end of the corrupt program meant the end to their constant fighting. Presumably, it also meant the end of their mistress' pain, though only time could tell that for sure. For the moment, they could relish in their victory, rejoice in the end of the conflict.

For Lindy and Chrono, the end of NachtWal meant a sense of closure. The defense program was the root of the noble, but tragic sacrifice of Clyde Harlaown, Lindy's husband and Chrono's father. Mother and son embraced briefly, allowing the professional image to melt away for but a moment. A moment of relief, closure, peace.

While Nanoha, Fate, Arf and Yuuno were not as affected like the others, they still were relieved to see the program meet its' end. Perhaps they could get along with the Wolkenritter better since the source of their fighting was gone. Nanoha and Fate, at least, had the feeling that their respective rivals from the cloud knights weren't truly evil or bad people, so they drew hope from it.

The celebrations, for the moment, had to be put on hold as Hayate had suddenly felt a dizzy spell overcome her. The poor girl weaved and wobbled in place for a few seconds before she collapsed on her back, unconscious. She didn't look like she was harmed or in danger as there wasn't any pain, and her eyes had briefly turned into spirals for a comedic effect.

"Hayate-chan!" Nanoha was worried regardless as she flew over to Hayate's side with Fate in tow.

"You need not worry," Reinforce assured her, "She only fainted from exhaustion."

"Wow, swirling eyes," Sonic chimed in after briefly observing the brunette, "Thought those were only possible with anime."

"Let's bring her up to the Arthra for recuperation," Lindy offered, "Come to think of it, I think we all should get some rest up there as well. That was quite a battle, I don't think I've worked so hard since my days in the field."

"I'd like to request an examination of the Tome." there was a discernable note of concern in Reinforce's tone as she made the request, "I want to make sure that NachtWal won't be able to come back as it is."

"Agreed." Chrono nodded, "I'll set up the transfer."

"Huh?" The blue hedgehog blinked in confusion, to be fair he wasn't familiar with the magic system in its entirety, "Transfer?"

"Dimensional Transfers." Nanoha offered a bit of context for the hedgehog, "It's a spell that allows mages to transfer from place to place. Basically, think of it as teleporting."

"And our destination, in this case, is the Arthra," Fate added informatively, "The ship in orbit above us."

"So…" Sonic paused in thought as he absorbed that educational tidbit, "We're getting "beamed up". Is there anyone named "Scotty" on that ship?"

"Nope." the girl in white shook her head, though she couldn't help but giggle at the attempted reference "Not as far as I know."

"Dang it…" The hedgehog hung his head with a comical sigh.

The group gathered in one point with the hedgehog in the middle. Chrono set up a magical glyph with the coordinates set for the Arthra and the amount of people set up in the transfer. A beam of light emitted from the glyph that had engulfed everyone within. The teleportation soon completed, but little did anyone know that their whole battle had been watched.

"Whoa…." A female voice emitted as a pair of turquoise eyes looked away from a telescope on the pier.

"Hayate-chan, Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan…" added a second female voice as light blue eyes looked away from the telescope next to it.

* * *

 **[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Mizuki Nana, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's OST]**

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 4  
To Share the Skies**

* * *

 **[Dimensional Space: Earth's Orbit]  
[Time-Space Administration Investigative L-Class "Arthra"]  
[Infirmary]  
-Time: 7:35 pm-  
[No BGM]**

Reinforce and the Wolkenritter stood dutifully at the bedside of Hayate's resting form. The relief had slowly started to settle in for them as they started to think about the intense battle with the defense program. If there was anything out of the ordinary, it was the absence of Sonic the Hedgehog, which was easily noted by Vita.

"Oy, where's the blue boy?" The iron knight asked, "He was with us when we arrived and when Hayate was taken here."

"The admiral took him to the mess hall," Shamal replied, "She said he didn't look so well after the transfer and felt that some food would make him feel better."

"They may use that opportunity to question him," Zafira added informatively, "They have been asking us about him since the second battle."

"Indeed," Signum nodded in agreement, "This is likely the best opportunity the Bureau will have with him."

"Should we try to help him?" The blonde medic asked in concern.

"No, I don't think it will be necessary," the pink haired woman declined with a shake of her head, "The hedgehog can take care of himself, and anything he does say matters little to us anymore now."

The other knights acknowledged their leader's reasoning and orders. With the Tome of the Night Sky's completion, there was little reason to fight the Bureau any longer. Their leader had started to plan out their course of action from then, but the uncomfortable silence from Reinforce had drawn her immediate attention.

"Is everything alright?" Signum inquired of the silver haired woman next to her.

"Hmm? Oh, yes…" Reinforce replied, looking distant, "Her core is no longer being devoured and it will only be a matter of time before her paralysis is cured."

Signum wasn't the only one to notice the behavior of the unison device. The other knights watched as Reinforce's attention seemed to be split between the resting form of their master and the mark on her left wrist that previously had a chain wrapped around it. To their growing surprise, the woman before them turned and headed for the exit.

"Forgive me, I must check on the Tome." Reinforce said swiftly as she left the room.

"That was weird," Vita voiced her opinion on the sudden exit.

"Concerning as well," Signum added.

Little did the departing Reinforce know that as she left, Hayate had slowly started to awaken. Her light blue eyes started to trail the silver haired beauty as she left.

 **[Mess Hall]  
[No BGM]**

Sonic seated himself lazily at a bench in the dining area. A tray of sweets and snacks laid in front of him, delivered personally by Lindy Harlaown. Truthfully, he did feel off after the dimension transfer, apparently someone had forgotten to tell him that there might be some discomfort on landing. Fortunately, the hedgehog was easily soothed by food.

True to Zafira's prediction, Lindy, Chrono, Nanoha, Fate, Alph and Yuuno watched the hedgehog from afar, trying to figure out how to approach him. There were still unanswered questions regarding the hedgehog's backstory and stance on the incident that needed to be established.

Eventually, it was decided that Nanoha be the first to approach. Like the hedgehog, she was also a local from the planet and could, theoretically, connect over the shared world and the metaphorical "fish out of water" feeling. The girl, understandably so, was hesitant to approach, but was immediately assured that the others would have her back.

"Um…Excuse me" Nanoha nervously greeted the blue hedgehog as she approached his bench, "Sonic-san?"

"You can drop the "san" part," Sonic said with a disinterested look on his face, "We're probably around the same age."

"Uh..." The girl blinked, taken aback by the tone, "Right."

"Let's see... you were uh... Vita's rival." The hedgehog pounded his gloved hand in thought, "Uh. Takamachi Nantoka (something or other)?"

"Uwah!" Eyes went blank in comical shock as Nanoha felt a sense of deja vu from having to, yet again, correct someone on her name pronunciation, "It's Nanoha! Na-No-Ha!"

"Oops!" A sheepish giggle exited Sonic's mouth, "Sorry~!"

"Mou…" Nanoha's face had a cute pout to it, "First, Vita-chan and now you?"

"Well, to be fair, it is hard to pronounce." Sonic brought up a very fair argument, "Okay~! Let's start over, Takamachi Nanoha."

"Just 'Nanoha' will do," Try as she might, the girl could not restrain the exasperation in her tone, "Um… anyways… I was wondering if we could talk a bit about how you got involved in this."

"And by 'us' you mean yourself and the party that's been watching me for the last few minutes?" asked the hedgehog, gesturing to the group watching from afar, "cause they're not doing a good job of being discreet."

Sheepishly, the guilty onlookers walked over to the hedgehog and girl at the bench. Lindy easily smoothed any misunderstandings over by truthfully stating that they only want the hedgehog's story for the record, and that he was not in trouble for anything.

"Well, I guess I can tell you guys my lovely tale," Sonic said calmly, "Though, I must preface that it does drag on in places, so I'll try to minimize the filler."

"Thank you for cooperating," Lindy calmly yet genuinely expressed the gratitude, "start from the beginning or where you feel comfortable."

"No problem~!" the hedgehog grinned before he began his narration, "Our story begins in South Island, where a rotten egg had started to spread his evil yoke all over."

 **[Engineering Lab]**  
 **[No BGM]**

Mariel "Mary" Atenza was a talented young girl with many accolades. At the young age of sixteen, she was already a professional Device Meister, rather an engineer. The girl had olive green hair, yellowish eyes and big round eyeglasses on her face. Her attire mainly consisted of a white lab coat over a blue blazer and skirt uniform that seemed to be standard issue for the Time-Space Administration.

She had just concluded her examination of the Tome of the Night Sky, but something about the results had her perplexed. Several readings did not seem to make sense and could be potentially disastrous if left unchecked. The girl had started to compile her notes just as Reinforce had walked in.

"Good evening." The silver-haired woman greeted the engineering prodigy in a cordial, polite manner.

"Oh, um… hello, Book of Darkness-san" Mary seemed to have known who Reinforce was already, but still felt taken by surprise with the sudden appearance, so much so that she had slipped up in her identification, "I'm terribly sorry!"

"It's quite alright… the Tome's original name has long since been forgotten," The woman shook her head, "If it'll make it easier, you may call me 'Reinforce'."

"Yes ma'am." Mary nodded before realizing that Reinforce came to her for a reason, "Um, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping that there would be results regarding the Tome." Reinforce explained her reasoning with a naturally soft, kind voice, "If it's not too much to ask."

"Oh, definitely not! It belongs to you and Hayate-san, so it's only natural for you to check on it." One could swear that Mary could have been excited by the newcomer's presence, "And I just finished my examination of the Book, though some of the readings don't make much sense."

"I have a few ideas on what those readings indicate." The unison device said, approaching the Tome, "Perhaps I can be of assistance."

"Thank you very much!" the teenager politely acknowledged the offer.

 **[Mess Hall]  
[No BGM]**

While Mary and Reinforce worked on analyzing the Tome of the Night Sky and the Wolkenritter dutifully watched over their master's recovery, the mages had busied themselves with the hedgehog's story. For the most part, it was the same as what he told the Wolkenritter, albeit it was somewhat truncated to minimize the drama over Sonic's aquatic troubles. Despite that, what Sonic had told the Bureau had confirmed most of what Nanoha's previous hunches.

Sonic had confirmed that he was involved in Doctor Eggman's attack on South Island, but indicated that he had acted in the defense of the island. He had basically undergone a one man, or in his terms, "one hedgehog", wrecking crew with Eggman's operations. His reasons were simple yet easily justified; the scientist was harming his friends and he had the power to stop him.

In addition to the interest of Eggman's character and abilities, Lindy and Chrono both noted the man's interest in what were called the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic admitted that he did not know why Eggman wanted the gems, but figured that if he could beat the madman to something it would be an advantage. Admittedly, Sonic was aware of the legends behind the gems, but when he collected the six from South Island, he could not tell what use they could have.

"So, the only reason why you collected the Chaos Emeralds was so you could beat Eggman to them?" Lindy asked simply.

"That's right~!" The hedgehog gave her a thumbs-up gesture for understanding, "I didn't feel any different after I gathered them, and when after I beat Eggman, the things just disappeared."

"Might I ask how you came to collect them?" Enforcer Chrono queried neutrally.

"You just did." Sonic quipped without missing a beat, "I think I can answer anyways… But let's answer your question with my question. Why are you interested in them?"

Before Chrono could snap at the hedgehog for the question, Lindy stepped in and answered for him. Their interest in the Chaos Emeralds was mainly due to their required duties as members of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. As the admiral explained to the hedgehog, the Administration Bureau is an interdimensional security force that have forces including navy, disaster relief, medical, nature preservation, and more importantly to the topic at hand, the identification and organization of relics of power from ancient history. The Chaos Emeralds could have easily fallen into that category given their legends.

The jurisdiction of the Bureau mainly includes the Administrated worlds, where their own forces act as peacekeepers and such. Whereas the Non-Administrated worlds like Earth that have their own local politics are those in which they try to keep a low profile. There was an incident that had taken place over half a year ago where several Lost Logias, or relics, codenamed "Jewel Seeds", had activated and started havoc all over the planet. The Bureau was quick to take notice after a dimensional disturbance had occurred, but due to their short staff on hand, they had to rely on a local mage from the planet.

"So… all of you guys are like aliens?" The hedgehog asked in summation, "Who manage the peace and keep stuff from going all screwy?"

"Well, actually…" Nanoha let out a little giggle, "I'm a local. I was introduced to magic during that incident and I volunteered to help out."

"I was also part of that incident…" Fate spoke up in a soft, timid voice, "But I was on the other side at first."

"Then something happened and you defected?" Sonic presumed the rest from there. He could tell from Fate's body language that the girl was uncomfortable with any further elaboration, "You don't have to say anymore."

"Thank you." The blonde let out a sigh that she barely knew she was holding, "And forgive me if it seems like I'm evading your question. It's a very… sensitive topic."

"Don't worry~!" a gloved hand waved the apology away as unnecessary, "So at least one of you probably would've heard of Eggman's attack."

"I did." Nanoha elaborated, but was quick to jump to the defense of any inaction, "But when we heard of what happened, both me and Fate-chan were recovering from our first encounter with Vita-chan and Signum-san, and the Bureau was busy tracking them down.

"But, please understand, this doesn't mean that we condone what Doctor Eggman has done," the girl continued with a rather serious expression, "If I was in a position to help out, I would have without a second thought."

"No worries, really." Perhaps it was Sonic's natural laid-back personality, but he was not about to hold a grudge on the Bureau mages, "I'm not judging you guys or anything, I'm sure you have your reasons. Besides, Eggman was too easy for me… either of you guys might've been overkill."

"Nyahaha…" the nervous laugh left Nanoha's cute lips before she could try to stop it, "I wouldn't go that far."

"At any rate, we've strayed off the topic at hand," Chrono said after clearing his throat to draw attention away from the sidebar, "The question regarding how you came to find these Chaos Emeralds still stands."

"Of course~!" There was little doubt that Sonic was mocking the enforcer by that point, "Let me tell you about the Special Stages."

 **[Engineering Department]  
[No BGM]**

With the assistance of Reinforce, Mary was finally able to make sense of the readings she received from the Tome. What she got left her in surprise, though not worried for some reason. Reinforce, on the other hand, seemed a bit calmer, as if she had a hunch of the outcomes. The scans had only seemed to confirm such for her.

"No way…" Mary could barely restrain her gasp in shock, "This makes sense, but how is it possible?"

"I had a guess that this was the case, that's why I had requested for this examination." Reinforce glanced to the teenager and took note of her noticeable lack of worry, "You don't seem to be concerned."

"Well, I am worried that it's happening," The tech prodigy let out a sigh to compose herself, "But, we caught this early and I have a way that we can solve this issue before it becomes an even bigger problem."

"I see…" nodded the silver haired unison device in understanding, "Are you sure about this solution?"

"Absolutely, one hundred percent guaranteed!" There was no shortage of confidence in Mary's tone, "There is one little catch…"

"Please continue." Reinforce requested politely, though she had a feeling what the complication would be.

"This type of fix will require double authorization." Mary explained, somewhat awkwardly, "Your access alone will not suffice."

"I figured as much," Reinforce, sure enough, was unsurprised, "She will need to be informed."

"She already is…" a familiar, young and female voice spoke softly and somewhat tiredly from the entrance

 **[BGM Insert: "Rydia's theme" Final Fantasy IV OST]**

At the entrance to the lab was Hayate herself, flanked by the rest of the Wolkenritter. The young girl looked like she had just woken up if the way her hands rested on her wheelchair were of any indication.

"Master." Reinforce could barely hold her shock back, "How much did you hear?"

"Enough…" Hayate let the statement hang intentionally as she tiredly wheeled herself over to the tall woman, "I want to help. You, the book, have given me so much happiness, and I want to pay it back."

"Are you sure about this?" the unison device likely knew the answer before she asked, but she wanted it to be heard from Hayate.

"Yes!" that kind smile, those warm eyes, they emitted an honest, lively expression that shone through Hayate's tired appearance, "I don't want to see you go… so please!"

"Very well, then…" the request was acknowledged. Reinforce turned to the tech, "proceed, please."

"Okay!" Mary nodded and the work resumed.

 **[Mess Hall]  
[No BGM]**

Sonic's explanation of the Special Stages had left more questions asked than answered and had provided little insight. In the hedgehog's defense, he had admitted that he did not know for sure what the purpose of the stages were. He found the entrances to the stages from large golden rings located in the zones on South Island.

While finding the rings were difficult enough for Sonic, the stages themselves were a whole new ballgame. Sonic recalled that the layout of the stages was like a rotating maze full of bumpers and traps that would guarantee an early exit with one false step. He believed that the stages were testing him, somehow, but he had no proof of the idea other than his experience.

"And that's pretty much it." Sonic admitted with a shrug, "After South Island, I took the Tornado out for a test flight, crashed it here, then passed out. I remember waking up later at Hayate's house. That was around the beginning of September."

"That was before you got involved in our battle with the Wolkenritter," Chrono presumed accurately, "Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

"Bingo~!" the hedgehog confirmed the enforcer's guess, "Hayate said she was getting worried when Vita and Signum weren't answering her calls."

"You volunteered to go look for them." the enforcer youth's tone did not change, "Correct?"

"Yes~!" a nod of the head from the hedgehog served as the confirming gesture, "I needed to stretch my legs anyways… that being said, I really didn't know where to look until I found that yellow dome thing that covered a lot of the city."

"The Overpressure Force Field spell we used to trap the Wolkenritter." this useful elaboration was provided by Chrono without missing a beat, "I presume you found your way past it."

"Yes, hat trick~!" The term fell over Chrono's head, but fortunately Nanoha and Yuuno, who were both aware of the context behind, smoothed it over in the telepathic channels as the hedgehog elaborated, "There isn't much my quills can't cut. That's when I saw you guys all rumbling and playing around…"

"That was when the Lieze Twins made their move," This time it was Lindy who added onto the next part of the story. The admiral looked at Sonic in a soft, but inquisitive way, "Just to make sure, they were the ones to attack you first?"

"Home run~!" Sonic was definitely making Nanoha work overtime in providing the sports context as each reference fell over their heads, "They tried using some chain or ring thing to trap me."

"Hoop Bind, an enhanced version of a basic binding spell." Chrono neutrally elaborated, confirming the consistency of the story in the process, "We know what happened then."

"I didn't really know what was going on, to be honest," the hedgehog admitted, "I just didn't like the idea of being attacked or sacrificed by those two guys…girls… whatever."

"Hey! We are girls, thank you very much!" a teenaged female voice shouted at Sonic as the previously mentioned twins approached.

The one that had spoken was the shorter haired twin while her sister had been a few paces behind her. Both of them were trailed by an aging Englishman in an important looking blazer uniform of the same color scheme as Lindy's. He was a tall man, but had a kind-looking face with a well-trimmed gray beard and a slicked back haircut. An aura of kindness and experience could have been felt by all as he approached.

"Admiral Gil Graham," Lindy identified the man instantly, "What are you doing here?"

"I just came by to see who the new 'hero' of this incident was. The one who foiled this 'villain's plot." Gil answered cordially; despite the terminology, he did not come off as a villainous type, "In addition, my familiars have something to say to him."

"We wanted to apologize," Aria, the longer-haired twin spoke with a sensible demeanor, "But, it appears my sister had other thoughts…"

"Well he called us boys! ugh! We only took those forms to fool the Bureau mages," Lotte kept her glare focused on the blue hedgehog at the table, "And you…"

"Moi?" The hedgehog decided to play the dumb one, if only to troll the nerves of the catgirl.

"Yes, you! Don't you have any manners?" The shorter haired twin continued as if undeterred, "Attacking two girls! Is chivalry a dead concept?"

"The girl who came at me fighting without any warning is saying that to me?!" Sonic did not pull the punches on that retort.

"He has a point, Lotte," The other twin nodded in agreement.

"Grrrr…" Lotte grumbled in defeat and withdrew to her master's side.

"At any rate, please accept my apologies on the behalf of my familiars." The elder man addressed Sonic in a polite, apologetic manner with a refined tone, "They should not have attacked an innocent one like you. Because of that, you were dragged into the fighting needlessly."

"Eh… it's no big deal." the blue hedgehog simply shrugged, he was not one to hold a grudge, "Besides, it all worked out in the end, right~?"

"There is one question that has yet to be answered," Lindy cut in, looking at the hedgehog once more "You took a big risk back there, allowing the book to be completed. I would like to know why."

All eyes fell upon the hero once more. It seemed as though everyone, understandably so, wanted to know the motives of the blue hedgehog. Sonic, for his part, appeared unfettered by the pressure. His tone was as cool and blue as he was when he gave his honest answer

"I made a promise, and I don't go back on my word."

"Very well, I am satisfied…" The woman nodded in acceptance; her gaze shifted to Graham, "Admiral?"

The elder man and Lindy exchanged a few words, though no one outside of the two and the catgirl twins were able to fully discern what was being said between them. Once the conversation had ended, Graham took his leave and headed for the cellblock with his familiars in tow. There were a few questions among the minds of those who were not privy to the details spoken, but the serious look on Lindy's face when Chrono had attempted to ask had sent the clear message: Drop it.

"Attention!" Mariel's voice echoed through the intercom, "Admiral Lindy Harlaown, your presence is requested in Engineering."

"Looks like Mary-san has something for us," The woman called for by name had started to make her way towards the room in question, "Come along, please."

Though the others followed, they did so in hesitance as they were completely confused by the previous exchange of words. No one knew what was said, and that was the most troubling aspect they took away. There was little they could have done though, aside from following the admirals request to join her in hearing what the teenaged genius had found.

 **[Engineering Department]  
[No BGM]**

Mariel waited patiently as Lindy's party entered the large laboratory. Signum and the knights were on the far side of the room while Hayate and Reinforce were on the other, with the Tome of the Night Sky situated on a display terminal closest to the latter group. Both master and the unison device were waiting patiently on the computer.

"Thank you for coming, Lindy-san." Mary's tone was kind and professional as she welcomed the group, sending a knowing nod at Fate and Nanoha in the process, "I have some news you might want to hear."

"I assume it's important to Hayate and the Wolkenritter considering they're all here as well." the teal haired admiral accurately guessed, drawing note from the other noteworthy presences.

"Yes, it's regarding the Book. I had it scanned as requested, but I couldn't figure out the results," The engineer confirmed and elaborated, "Luckily, Reinforce-san was here to lend a hand."

"I had a hunch, and I wanted to see if it was true." Reinforce explained her reasoning, "Unfortunately, we found the problem to be exactly what I predicted."

"What did you find?" queried Chrono with a neutral tone.

Mariel paused for a moment to get her bearings, "We know that NachtWal, the previous Defense Program, previously had been corrupted and it went berserk; endangering many lives, including its own master."

"Yeah," Sonic nodded, "That was the thing we just fought."

"Well, according to Reinforce-san…" The device meister took another moment to consider how she was going to phrase her findings, "There's a link between her and the defense system. With it, NachtWal would've still had a chance to recover if given the time..."

"That link is no more; it was severed during the battle." Reinforce interjected, her dark, sober expression had quashed any thoughts of celebration, "Because of that, I will soon begin to disappear…"

"Disappear?!" Nanoha's face lost a bit of her color in shock, "Like, you'll die?"

"Correct." The woman confirmed solemnly, "Without a defense program, I cannot continue to exist for long."

"Um..." Fate spoke up hesitantly, "There's something I don't understand; how did the link get severed?"

"It probably happened when the Arc-en-ciel was fired..." Alph spoke up thoughtfully, "We all saw how much power it had."

"Actually, the link was cut prior to NachtWal's ultimate destruction." the crimson eyes of the master control unity knight fell upon the hedgehog, "The blue one here was able to land a direct hit on the core and severed the chain during his attack run."

The Hero of South Island tapped his gloved palm with a fist and raised his finger into the air as something had dawned upon him, "That explains the weird metal feeling in my quills back then."

Upon the questioning looks from the Bureau group, Sonic elaborated that while he was destroying the barriers that NachtWal had generated when it took to the skies, he found an opportunity to attack the core directly. The window of exposure was not big enough for Shamal and the others to snare the core in a binding array, but with his speed, Sonic was able to take advantage. His cutting power from the spin attack was enough to tear through metal alone, but he was nigh unstoppable when coupled with a boost of ring energy.

"At any rate," Mary spoke up, "We were fortunate to have caught this problem early. And we are already implementing a solution with absolute guaranteed success."

"What solution?" Lindy was the one to query the engineer.

"While I was looking through the Tome's data with Reinforce-san's access, I found the original template and specs for the defense system. Presumably, they were saved in the event that the defense program needed to be replaced," the girl replied, "I compared that data to the defense systems we use in creating devices for our ground forces and found the compatibility."

"This means we'll be able to install a new defense system in the Tome," Reinforce added, "Once that happens, I'll have to re-establish a link with it to ensure my survival."

"Won't there still be a chance that the data corrupts this new defense system?" The question voiced by Chrono was not without merit.

"No, the data would've been unreadable if it was corrupted," Mary shook her head, "So long as we don't allow this new defense system to be maliciously altered like before, it should be fine."

"We're just waiting for the Tome of the Night Sky to finish downloading the new pro-" Hayate began to speak up, but was interrupted by a noise from the computer terminal, "Oh, it's done!"

" _ **Ein neues Programm heruntergeladen wurde. (A new program has been downloaded)."**_ The Tome of the Night Sky emitted a female, robotic voice, _**"Berechtigung zur Installation wurde angefordert. (Permission to install has been requested)."**_

"Master rights initiated." The tome's mistress answered immediately, "Permission granted."

" _ **Ja, jetzt installieren. (Yes, now installing)."**_ Silence followed the Tome for several minutes as the new defense system was installed, _**"Verteidigung System installiert, ein Name ist angefordert. (Defense system installed, a name is requested)."**_

"Nacht: The Night Raider" Reinforce answered this time, invoking her rights as the master control and the one most affected by the new program.

"' _ **Nacht' bestätigt; die Anwendung aktualisieren ('Nacht' confirmed; applying update)."**_ continued the emotionless, robotic female voice of the Tome of the Night Sky, _**"Aktualisierung angewendet; Link zu Master Control Einheit Ritter, Aktivieren (Update applied; link with Master Control Unity Knight established. Activating)."**_

For a brief moment, a purplish black triangular glyph appeared at Reinforce's feet and her form was encased in a dark orb. The glyph remained as the orb shattered, leaving Reinforce with the familiar gauntlet on her wrist.

A closer look at the armament revealed that it resembled a navy-tinted shield with a built in launcher for a red colored spear. Along with the new armament, Reinforce's Knight Clothing had also materialized, taking the form of a black minidress with a gold trim in an x pattern at her chest that flowed into a gold belt. Her minidress laid under a short sleeved black jacket and a matching miniskirt with a golden trim. Black fingerless gloves covered her hands while matching plated boots snugly fit to her feet. Three pairs of black wings, similar to Hayate's, sprouted on her back to complete the uniform.

To the relief of all, despite the dark aura and color scheme, the woman's expression remained calm. She stood up and allowed her posture to relax. Her face had a caring expression to it as her lovely crimson rubies met the kind blue ones of her mistress.

"Oh…" Hayate, understandably so, could only muster but one word as she found herself staring, "Pretty…"

A kind smile graced Reinforce's face as she bent down and spoke softly, "Your kind words honor me, my mistress."

"I presume it worked." Lindy, not one to intentionally ruin such a kind moment, spoke up, "This new system is under your control."

"It is." Confirmed the unity knight as she turned to face the admiral. Her control over the program was shown as she willingly dismissed the knight clothing and her equipment, "There appear to be no malfunctions in the program."

"I'm glad." The admiral had a kind and motherly smile to her face, "We can consider this incident closed then."

"Are you sure?" Hayate asked honestly, "The sins of the Book of Darkness. The crimes committed to help me..."

"The ones we harmed in completing the book." Signum spoke up, "We had intended to turn ourselves in and face your justice when our mistress was safe."

Lindy shook her head, her kind visage never wavered, "While your unconditional surrender would be appreciated up until now, I cannot accept it at this time. There are things that I must tend to. People to speak with, paperwork to file, Bureau business; however, I will file your intention away and get back to you when I can.

"In the meantime…" The woman turned to address the rest of the knights and mages, "Why don't you all return to earth and enjoy the holidays? Enjoy yourselves for the week; I'll let you know if anything new comes up."

"Um, Lindy-san…" Nanoha was the first to voice her concern, "Are you sure about this?"

"Can we really just go home?" Hayate came second, "After all of this?"

Fate spoke last, her voice was so soft and quiet, one might have been forgiven for thinking she had whispered, but was still loud enough to be heard by all, "Is it really alright?"

"Yes, it's fine. Go on and enjoy your lives, I'll be available if needed..." Lindy reassured them such, "Do I have to make it an order?"

Much to Lindy's amusement, her question had generated a near simultaneous chorus of nays. With nothing else for the woman to cover, she swiftly dismissed the others so they could return to earth.

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card # 7: Hayate]  
Name: Hayate Yagami  
Kanji: ****八神はやて** **(Ya-ga-mi Ha-ya-te)  
Age: 09  
Gender: Female  
Height: 123 cm  
Weight: 26 kg  
Color: White  
System: Ancient Belka  
Rank: S+ (Synthetic)  
Devices: Tome of the Night Sky, Reinforce Eins**

 **[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #8: Nanoha]  
Name: Nanoha Takamachi  
Kanji: ****高町なのは** **(Ta-ka-ma-chi Na-no-ha)  
Age: 09  
Gender: Female  
Height 127 cm  
Weight: 27 kg  
Color: Cherry blossom pink  
System: Mid-Childa  
Rank: AAA+ (Air)  
Device: Raising Heart Exelion**

* * *

 **[Earth]  
[Uminari City, Japan]**

Hayate had spent the rest of that night in the hospital. Much to her surprise, Doctor Ishida had been waiting in her hospital room. Immediately they were questioned by the strict doctor on her disappearance and also the sudden appearance of Reinforce. Somehow, they were able to come up with a story that the older woman had found out that she had familial ties to the Yagami family and flew in to visit. The reason why she was not mentioned prior was due to Shamal and Signum wanting to surprise Hayate. As for Hayate's disappearance; the two had decided to take her with them to the airport.

Though it helped the story's believability that Reinforce had a kind aura about her despite the dark appearance, the doctor was still skeptical. To be fair, Ishida had been skeptical of the Wolkenritter from the start, but had seen that their presence in Hayate's life had made the girl happy. Eventually, the woman bought the story.

Christmas had arrived the following day, and the biggest present Hayate was given came first thing in the morning, when her doctor had informed her that there had been a major breakthrough in the treatment for her condition. The tests that were ran in the morning on her indicated that the paralysis had rapidly begun to regress, and it had reached the point where Ishida felt comfortable about releasing her to enjoy the holidays with her relatives. Hayate was soon discharged in the middle of the morning, but was told to come back after New Years for a check-up.

 **[Yagami Residence]  
-Time: 10:55 am-  
[BGM: "Eeto desu ne" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha OST]**

After making sure that Hayate and her knights had situated themselves, Sonic went out to the backyard to check on his Tornado. Needless to say, he was quite surprised to have found several large boxes next to his aircraft. Each crate held parts, tools and instructions required for what the hedgehog had in mind for his project.

"You're kidding me…" Sonic trailed off he read over the instructions and looked at the airplane.

"Sonic-san?" Reinforce allowed her curiosity to get the better of her and looked between the blue savior and his airplane, "Is everything alright?"

"Great~," the hedgehog tapped his head against the outside wall, "Might have bitten off more than I can chew here…"

Hayate and the other Wolkenritter had soon came out to see what the growing drama was about. They found the hedgehog muttering to himself and staring at the instruction manuals while Reinforce looked on in worry.

"That reminds me." recalled Signum thoughtfully, "Tsukimura-san had these delivered here yesterday. She said they were for Sonic-san."

"They're exactly what I need to finish the Tornado." The hedgehog sighed as he stood up and paced between the manuals on the ground and the biplane, "But..."

"You don't think you'll be able to do it?" Queried Shamal in concern

"Nah, the instructions are simple enough to understand…" Sonic stared down the pamphlets, "The problem is that it will take so much work and time…"

As Sonic paced back and forth in thought as to which part of the Tornado he would work on first, Hayate gathered her knights, Reinforce too, in a little corner in the backyard for a mini-conference. Words were exchanged, but if the hedgehog had tried to eavesdrop, he would be disappointed as they were far too quiet. Eventually the group reached a consensus and approached the hedgehog once more.

"Sonic-kun?" Hayate spoke first.

"Yes~?" Sonic paused his pacing to face them.

"We would like to lend our assistance." Signum offered stoically.

"What~?" Emerald green eyes blinked at the group of females plus wolf in disbelief.

"That is a significant amount of work for just one person." Reinforce reasoned validly, "You shouldn't have to strain yourself when there are others who are willing to help."

The hedgehog pondered the words of the unison knight carefully. In the past, he was able to DIY (do it yourself) the restoration of the plane on his own, but he never had to do work as extensive as what his project had called for. Installing the engine would not be too difficult for him, but adding in a second seat would require expanding the body of the frame just long enough to accommodate it.

Then there was the matter of what Reinforce had said about straining. She had provided a valid argument to support Hayate, the Wolkenritter and her offers of assistance. Her calm, motherly tone and aura had aided in presentation, and that only served to make Sonic's decision tougher.

"If I don't agree, you're just going to try and help anyways," The hedgehog shrugged, "Alright, you win."

"Thank you." A kind, lovely smile graced Reinforce's lips in gratitude.

"You can also think of it as us paying you back for all that you've done." Hayate added.

The girl's idea of interpretation got little more than a shrug from the Hero of South Island turned plane mechanic, "Whatever... at least things will be a bit faster now."

And so, the project of restoring the Tornado continued, only this time, Sonic had several helping hands. Signum and Vita, the fighters of the knights, put their strength to good work while Zafira had shifted into his taller human form to lend his strength. With their help, Sonic was confident he would be able to finish the Tornado before the year ended.

* * *

 **[Takamachi Residence]  
[BGM: "Honobono" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha OST]**

Hayate was not the only one who had some explaining to do following last night's events. Nanoha and Fate were late to return home, but the former's parents had them a temporary reprieve due to the time of night and the signs of fatigue and tiredness. That reprieve had expired in the middle of the day when Arisa and Suzuka had arrived to question the two about the weird but epic magic battle they saw them fight.

"It was really weird… but awesome too!" Arisa, the dirty-blonde haired anglophone, went on, "Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan were all dressed in some weird cute cosplay costumes and they were fighting some monster thing with Hayate-chan and a few others."

"W-were we?" Nanoha tried her hardest to deny it. Her eyes locked on Fate's, _"This is bad, Fate-chan! I think they saw us!"_

" _Even though we had a barrier up…"_ Fate trailed off as her attention seemed to be elsewhere. Her focus suddenly shifted to reality as she replied back informally, _"I contacted Lindy-san. She'll be here in a few minutes to explain…"_

"Yeah! Arisa-chan and I both saw it from the pier." Suzuka backed up the anglophone's story, "You and Fate-chan looked really cool out there. Hayate-chan and Sonic-kun did too…"

The combined story from Arisa and Suzuka held such detail and accuracy that it was hard for Nanoha's family not believe the two. It proved difficult for Nanoha and Fate to play the innocent card, but they were uncomfortable with providing a clear answer. Trust was hardly the issue, if the two felt comfortable, they likely would have explained without a second thought. They were hesitant, as if the secret they kept was not theirs to spill.

Thankfully, Lindy, Amy and Chrono had arrived before matters got even more complicated. The admiral and Nanoha's mother agreed to a full disclosure over dinner. Even Arisa and Suzuka were allowed to stay over for dinner, provided that they inform their respective families of such and get permission.

Finally, the big secret was disclosed over a lovely dinner of friends and family. Unsurprisingly, everyone was accepting of the concept of magic and the existence of other worlds and the Time-Space Administration Bureau. If there was any disappointment, it was from Arisa, who had thought that aliens from other worlds would not have been as human as they were.

"So, that big battle we saw was your magic?!" Arisa's eyes lit up in curiosity, "Amazing!"

"Hmmm…" Lindy trailed off to her own thoughts for a bit. She soon returned to reality, "If you'd like, I believe we can arrange a mock battle to properly showcase what our magic is."

"I think that would be a great idea." Momoko Takamachi, Nanoha's mother, agreed rather instantly. One would have been forgiven somewhat for assuming that the woman could have passed for an older sister figure, given how youthful she looked; it was also clear which side of the family Nanoha took after with their appearances strongly resembling one another.

"I agree." Shiro Takamachi, the head of the Takamachi family and Nanoha's father, echoed his wife's approval. The tall man sent a look at his youngest daughter, "It would be interesting to see what Nanoha-chan has been doing when she goes out."

"How does New Year's Eve sound?" The teal haired admiral offered a set date, for reasons unknown.

"That might work," Nanoha's mother affirmed, "I can get just enough staff at the cafe to cover for us while we're out."

"With the holiday, it might get busy." If Nanoha's father was worried, his expression hid it well, "But I believe we can manage."

Unsurprisingly, Arisa and Suzuka asked if they could both come watch as well. No one seemed to take an issue with the additional onlookers, provided they had permission from their families to do such. Dinner had ended quite peacefully soon after that.

* * *

 **-December 31st-  
[Yagami Residence]  
-Time: 8:30 am-  
[No BGM]**

New Year's Eve came as a morning like any other for Hayate and her family. Breakfast was eaten as a family and the dishes were cleaned up as normal. If there was anything out of the ordinary that happened, it was that Sonic had immediately went out on a run as opposed to working on the Tornado. There was little need to justify the morning off, as he, Signum, Vita and Zafira had worked on it every day since returning from the hospital and they made an astounding amount of progress in such short time.

Sonic had decided that since all of the hard work was finished, and all that was left were the final touch-ups, he would take over from there. They could all sense that the time was close, but no one could be certain how close. As Hayate, Reinforce and the Wolkenritter gathered around the couch for relaxation, they reflected upon the changes that occurred since Sonic had entered their lives and had to wonder what would happen once he decided to leave.

"When you think about it…" Hayate trailed off a bit thoughtfully, "Things have really changed for the better since we took Sonic-kun in."

"Indeed, he's made such an impact on our lives." Reinforce added, "If it weren't for him, I don't know what could have happened, or even if we would still be here."

"Which is going to make things really sad for us when he does decide to leave." Vita grumbled a bit, "Did he even say where he would go from here?"

"Not to me," Signum shook her head.

"Me neither," Shamal added and turned her focus to the only other male in the household, "What about you, Zafira?"

"He hasn't said anything to me," The wolf responded with a shake of his head, "He mostly kept to himself."

"Who knows where he'll go ne-" Signum was interrupted as a call came in on Laevatein from another device and Lindy Harlaown's face appeared on a viewing screen for all, "Admiral?"

"Good morning, everyone!" Lindy greeted kindly, "I hope I'm not calling in at a bad time."

"No, it's fine." Hayate was the first to reassure her, "We just finished breakfast. Is something the matter?"

"Well…" The admiral's face gained a hopeful expression, "I was wondering if you guys could meet us at the park in half an hour. I promised Nanoha-chan's family and friends a proper demonstration of our magic."

Hayate looked between the others at the couch to gauge how they felt about the woman's request. There seemed to be no objections that were voiced outright, but there was a little problem to address in that they were not fully gathered up. Not that it stopped the mistress from making a decision though, and she felt that if Sonic were here, he would have agreed anyways out of curiosity.

"I think we can be there," Hayate voiced the agreement, "My only concern is that Sonic-kun isn't here. He went out on a run a few minutes ago."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Lindy's tone expressed her lack of concern, "Just leave him a note for when he comes back. Though, knowing him, he might show up at our gathering before you guys do."

"Yeah, that's true," The wheelchair bound girl was suddenly unsure as to why she was even concerned, "We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Thank you very much." Communications ended after Lindy voiced her gratitude.

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Park]  
-Time: 9:15 am-  
[No BGM]**

Even though Lindy had said that it was possible for Sonic to be at the park before Hayate and her family, she hardly expected him to be there before her own party showed up. She found the hedgehog relaxing at the base of a tree with a few flowers nestled in his gloved hands. There was no doubt that the hedgehog could be mysterious sometimes, but of all the coincidences.

Sonic opened his eyes with a few blinks as he turned to look at the party that had slowly started to approach. He was able to recognize Lindy, Chrono, Amy, Nanoha, Fate, Arisa and Suzuka right off the bat. There were four other humans, whom the hedgehog speculated were Nanoha's family given the resemblance, trailing behind the girl.

"Oh, Sonic!" Lindy spoke up first to address him, "Your timing couldn't be better."

"Hmm?" the hedgehog blinked his eyes a bit rapidly in curiosity, "What's up~?"

The woman was unsure as to whether she should be surprised or not. On the one hand, she reasonably presumed that if the hedgehog had been residing with Yagami and her Wolkenritter for so long, he would have some way of communicating with them when on the go. For the other, Sonic seemed to be wherever he had to be at any given time by coincidence.

"Well, since you're here already…" Lindy slowly started to explain the situation to the blue hedgehog; taking note of his reactions as she spoke.

"Demonstrations, huh?" Sonic nodded in understanding, "I won't lie, that little sample I saw last night got me curious."

"Would you like to participate?" queried the woman kindly, "I promise you'll get more to look at."

The offer had Sonic pondering in thought. His curiosity had gotten the better of him before, but this seemed to be a new ball game for him. As he considered, he could see Hayate and the others slowly enter the park from the other side.

"Sonic-kun!" Hayate shouted happily as she tried to accelerate her wheelchair a bit faster. Thankfully, Reinforce was right behind her in support.

"Hey guys~!" the hedgehog greeted them with a wave as they approached, "You're here for this demonstration too?"

The collective chorus of nods served as a suitable answer to the hedgehog's question. With everyone gathered being on the same page, the task shifted to figuring out how to work out a suitable demonstration. Initially, Lindy had thought about a mock battle between her mages and the Wolkenritter, but she still had to consider the presence of the hedgehog. Then it all came to her, a rather simple plan that was under her nose the whole time.

"Chrono-kun?" the woman shifted her attention to her son.

"Yes?" The teenaged boy in black replied.

"I was thinking…" Lindy set her idea into motion, "How about you spar with our friend here? Test his abilities."

"Well…" Chrono was not one to disobey a request from his mother, regardless if she was his admiral or not, "If he agrees."

"Hmm?" Sonic blinked in reference and looked at the enforcer next to the admiral. The hedgehog regarded him with a cool shrug, "Eh why not?"

Minutes later, the hedgehog and enforcer stared each other down and the tension started to grow. The cool, calm Sonic eased himself into a relaxed posture while the serious Chrono grew stiff. Easily, Sonic flicked his wrist and let the flowers in his hand fly over to Hayate and Reinforce.

"Oh!" Hayate looked at the flower, the Aster Tataricus, otherwise known as Shion in Japanese, "I won't forget you…"

"Master Hayate?" Reinforce looked down in curiosity.

"The language of flowers…" the brunette replied simply as the battle began.

* * *

 **-Rival: Sonic the Hedgehog vs Chrono Harlaown-  
[BGM: "The Arrow was Shot" Tales of the Abyss]**

" _ **Blaze Cannon!"**_ Declared S2U with little time wasted as the boy held the staff out in the direction of the hedgehog.

With little delay, a jet of flame was unleashed from the tip. The burst of energy was pretty big, but had suffered from a very short range because of it. Still, it went far enough to reach the hedgehog and was fired so quick that it gave him little time to react.

If Sonic was fazed by the spell, he did not show such as he simply jumped to the side right as the fire reached him. From there, the hedgehog was able to use his momentum to dash for the mage head on. Chrono seemed to have anticipated such an action and hovered in the air and backed himself up a fair distance, firing off a volley of bolts, much like a machine gun, as he flew.

The hedgehog's speed was put to good use as he was able to weave and dodge the volley with ease. If there was one thing that Chrono's Stinger Ray volley had done, it had allowed him to keep his distance away from Sonic. However, the hedgehog still had the advantage of his overwhelming speed, which had soon forced a tactical mismatch as Sonic curled up into his signature ball form and jumped in for the attack.

"Round Shield!" The boy grunted out and summoned a circular glyph of magic that acted as a shield.

Sonic's spin attack met with the shielding rune head on. For the moment, it seemed as though the hedgehog was held at bay, but that soon changed when the shield had started to crack. The blue ball's spikes sharpened considerably, to the point where Chrono could feel it in his gloved hands and the rune before him lose strength.

" _ **Impact Cannon!"**_ The enforcer's device pinged in response to his unspoken request. Swiftly, the boy dismissed the shield and fired off a point blank magical cannonball.

Within an instant, the magical shot had made contact and sent the hedgehog into the ground below. Despite the protection generated by Sonic's ball form, it was unable to protect him from the impact and the momentum shift forced upon him. Fortunately, he was able to uncurl and plant his hand on the grass to bounce off of and allow him to land on his feet.

"Struggle Bind!" With no delay, Chrono had beset himself above the hedgehog's position and used the latter's recovery to sneak in a powerful binding spell.

"Uwah?!" The glyph appeared at Sonic's feet and he could feel the chains wrap tight around his form before he could even react, "N-No way!"

The turn of events was watched carefully from the onlookers. To Nanoha's family and her friends, it was a solid display of how versatile the magic was in combat. Shooting spells could be fired off like a single-shot cannon or in a rapid-fire burst like a machine gun. Lindy, Nanoha and Reinforce traded off in providing exposition.

"Binding spells like Chrono-kun's Struggle Bind help keep targets in place." Nanoha spoke of the chains that had wrapped around Sonic, "They're not perfect though, and setting them up requires a bit of luck in figuring out where your target will be."

"And even then, there is a delay," Reinforce added, "The target has a small window to evade if they notice the preparation."

"In this case though, Chrono-kun was able to set up the bind as Sonic was recovering from the previous spell." Lindy clarified why her son was successful in the bind, "And now he has Sonic where he wants him."

Unable to do anything else, Sonic watched as Chrono ascended up into the sky, well above his jumping range even with a running start. He could see the boy generate a volley of blade-shaped magical projectiles. The number of blades had easily reached one hundred, but Sonic was unfazed.

"Oh great…" Amy Limietta's eyebrow twitched in exasperation, "Chrono-kun's not holding back here."

"He wants to end this battle early." Vita kept her eyes split between the hedgehog and the enforcer, "He used that variation against me earlier, I was lucky that Zafira was there to guard."

"And against the original NachtWal on Christmas Eve," Hayate added in concern, "I hope Sonic-kun will be okay."

Just then, Reinforce noticed activity in the right cuff of Sonic's gloves. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted an all too familiar golden yellow glow from it. She looked around to see if anyone else had noticed it, but found that the others had focused on the boy in the air.

"Could that be…" The unity device trailed off in thought as she looked up at the enforcer

"Stinger Blade: Execution Shift!" Declared Chrono from high up in the skies as he slammed his staff down in a gesture, "Fire!"

In a simultaneous burst, all one hundred blades fell upon the hedgehog's position. The Struggle Bind still in effect, Sonic could do nothing to dodge. It seemed as though all of the blades had struck true as the impact generated a sizable explosion on the ground level with an accompanying cloud of dirt and dust.

 **[BGM Pause]**

Silence fell upon everyone as all eyes were locked on the cloud of dust from the spell. The suspense was felt by all as even Chrono could not help but wonder if he overdid it. Hayate and the others on the ground watched as the mote of dirt dispersed. Before the watchers could have seen what had happened, their ears reacted first.

"Hehe~!"

 **[BGM shift: "Battle" Sonic X OST (Japanese)]**

The dust rapidly settled to reveal Sonic the Hedgehog. He stood upright, but one could tell from the bumps, cuts and bruises that the hedgehog had taken some damage from the spell volley. His unmistakable light-blue aura flared in pure power and his right palm had an all too familiar golden glow emitting from it.

"What?!" Chrono's mouth was agape in shock, "Impossible!"

A majority of the onlookers watched in shock at the surprising outcome as well. Only Reinforce and Lindy seemed unfazed by the revelation and they both had their own ideas as to why.

"I see…" Reinforce trailed off in thought as she observed the latest turn of the tide, "He purposefully held off on absorbing the ring until he needed it."

"They boosted his defense by that much?" Nanoha was among the few who were shocked, "But how… against Chrono-kun's Stinger Blade"

"The Execution Shift is a tricky variation that relies more on the numbers than the power." Lindy noted, "And Chrono-kun's power output, while stronger than Sonic's here, pales to that of yours and Fate's."

True to the commentary, Sonic had been able to use his final ring as a last ditch defensive effort to stave off a majority of the enforcer's all-or-nothing bombardment. The ring's glow was dim due to the energy expended in defense, but it still seemed to have enough left to continue the fight.

"Wow~! That was close, but now it's my turn..." Sonic grinned as he allowed the power to envelop him. His posture oozed confidence as he got into a runner's stance, "GO~!"

The last syllable was the final one that was heard as Sonic launched up into the air with an explosive burst of power and speed. Mid-way between himself and the enforcer, the blue blur curled up into his boosted spin form and increased his acceleration and speed. In a last-ditch effort, Chrono threw out a round shield, but it was for naught as the hedgehog sheared through that and slammed into his midsection.

Winces of phantom pain could be felt from the crowd as they saw Sonic used his momentum and drive Chrono into a hard impact on the ground. Thankfully, the hedgehog held back and the boy only had the wind knocked out of him. The dizzy spell had left his eyes in comical swirls.

* * *

 **-Winner: Sonic-  
[No BGM]**

"That was almost difficult," Sonic said as he dusted himself off of the dirt, wincing as blood from his wounds dry, "But… it was fun."

"Are you okay?" Reinforce, along with Hayate, was the first to approach the hedgehog in concern.

"I'll be fine…" the hedgehog recovered quickly enough with a shrug. He turned to take his leave, "I gotta do something real quick, I'll be back in a jiffy."

Before anyone could have said anything, the hedgehog took off at hypersonic speeds. The silence that was left in his wake was as awkward as it was humorous. Sonic's speed, no matter how many times the Wolkenritter saw it, was still amazing. They weren't alone as the bureau group, aside from the woozy Chrono, were equally as stunned.

"Well then…" Lindy cleared her throat with a few coughs to reset the mood, "I suppose now's a good time for an announcement. This is for everyone, but it's especially important for the Wolkenritter."

"Our statements from before still stand." Reinforce spoke on behalf of the knights, "We still intend to surrender ourselves to stand for the crimes and sins we have committed."

"Unfortunately, then you'll be disappointed… or relieved," The admiral shook her head in decline, "Another party has come forward and claimed responsibility as the "villain" of this incident. As of right now, the Bureau will not file any charges."

"What?!" that shocked Chrono out of his dazed stupor, "Another?"

"Yes, but I am not allowed to reveal who in front of Hayate and the Wolkenritter just yet." The woman noted, her focus remaining on the group, "For the moment, you are free to resume your lives. Just try not to cause trouble…"

"You sound like you're about to leave." Hayate noticed the tone that the admiral had taken.

"Indeed, Chrono and I will be taking the Arthra back to headquarters to escort our villain into custody." One could have noticed a slight note of sadness in Lindy's tone, "I don't know how long we'll be away, but we will return as soon as we can."

"What about us?" Fate asked.

"I will leave Amy here to manage our residence in town. She will act as a temporary liaison in case anyone starts causing trouble for us." a knowing glint was seen in the admiral's eyes.

"We still have to file our reports at headquarters," Chrono added, "And the Arthra is due for maintenance."

"How long do you estimate it will take?" Signum queried.

"A week or two at the most. And I will talk with some others in the Bureau and see what can be done regarding your case." Lindy indicated, "Until then, you're free to resume your lives, so long as you don't cause trouble for anyone."

Those affected by the announcement and exchange had to take a few moments to absorb and process what was said. Truthfully, while it brought some relief, Hayate, Reinforce and the Wolkenritter could not help but feel the guilt. Even though Lindy said it so informally and easily, the admiral herself could feel for them.

The moment of silence and melancholy ended swiftly as a noise from an aircraft could be heard. Everyone looked up at the source and saw that a vintage 2-seater biplane flew over them, with Sonic the Hedgehog as the pilot. They could hear the engines die down as the plane landed safely beside the tree.

"Hey guys~!" Sonic greeted them energetically as he hopped out. He soon realized that he had came in at something of a bad time as he saw the gloomy aura, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing…" Lindy did not want to ruin the hedgehog's mood and decided to allow his distraction to shift the topic, "What is this?"

"My finished project," The blue blur had a wide grin on his face as he gestured to the completed airplane, "Introducing the Tornado!"

"Wow…" Hayate's spirits were lifted as her eyes roamed the body of the plane, taking note of the fact that it was officially a two-seater, "You really did it!"

"It wasn't easy, but I had a little help." a gloved hand reached out to Hayate, "Now, how about we take to the skies?"

Without any hesitation, the girl took the hand and allowed Sonic to place her comfortably in the back seat of the biplane. Sonic grinned as he hopped into the front seat and turned on the engines.

"This isn't just a party for two." the hedgehog said to the other mages and knights, "Anyone else wanna join in?"

" _ **Stand by, ready!"**_ Raising Heart spoke for Nanoha.

" _ **Get set!"**_ Bardiche added for Fate's sake.

A flurry of lights emitted from the knights and mages as they shifted into their respective combat attire. Even Lindy decided to join in the fun by summoning a cute pair of workable fairy-like wings from her back. Arisa and Suzuka watched in awe and amazement while the Takamachi family seemed to take it all in stride.

"I think we can trust you guys to return home safely," Shiro spoke as he turned to his wife, "We have work to return to."

"Have fun, kids." Momoko waved kindly in dismissal as she, her husband and Nanoha's two older siblings left for home.

Arisa and Suzuka both left shortly after the family did, citing that their respective families were expecting them back home soon. Only Amy Limietta was left to see them off.

"Alright~!" With nothing to stop Sonic now, he started up the engines, "Let's go~!"

The biplane started like a charm and Sonic was able to take it to the skies with no delay. He and Hayate were swiftly followed by Reinforce and the Wolkenritter. Nanoha and Fate soon took to the skies as well followed by Lindy and Chrono.

* * *

 **[South Island: Sky]  
[BGM: "Helen's Diner" Sonic X OST]**

Hayate watched in awe and amazement as she saw the sea below her and felt the rush of wind in her short hair. The experience was truly euphoric and unique, to see the waves of the ocean move so swift. Sonic also relished in this opportunity. Even though the plane was not as fast as he was, it opened his options of adventure and exploration past the sea.

"So… um…" Hayate asked Sonic timidly, "Where are you gonna go now?"

"Hmm?" The hedgehog blinked.

"You fulfilled your promise to Mistress Hayate and made her dream come true," Signum noted as she flew beside the plane, "Where are you going to go from here?"

"Home." Sonic said honestly and simply.

"I see…" Reinforce flew next to Signum, "Home is where the heart is, as they say."

"Just don't be a stranger," Shamal requested as positioned herself behind the first two.

"Hehe~!" the hedgehog did not even bother to suppress his humor.

Vita flew up on the other side of the plane and sent the hedgehog a questioning look, "What's so funny?"

"I meant 'Home' as in with you guys," the chuckles threatened to break out into full blown laughter, "You actually thought that after all of this, I was just going to up and leave you?"

"It stood to reason to make that assumption," Zafira noted fairly as he came up next to Vita, "You had fulfilled the terms of your stay."

"No way~! I'm having way too much fun here." Sonic rapidly shook his head, "I can't see myself going anywhere else right now."

"You sure?" Hayate asked, she was not about to refuse him if asked, but she wanted to make sure Sonic's mind was set.

"I'm sure. I honestly don't have a real 'home' or 'family'." The hedgehog admitted with a sigh, "So… if it's possible. I'd like to stay with you guys… as part of your family."

With no delay and a bright smile on her face, the kind Mistress of the Night Sky threw her arms around the hedgehog in the front seat, "Silly Sonic-kun! You're already part of our family. You don't even need to ask."

"Aww, shucks" in a rare moment of breaking his cool facade, the hedgehog allowed a tear to trail from his eyes, "Thanks…"

The Wolkenritter watched the scene in admiration and respect. Truthfully, none of them would have been sure what to think if the hedgehog had decided to leave them to go on another adventure. And it was not like Sonic was going to suddenly stop his adventuring ways, the hedgehog simply had a place to hang his metaphorical hat at the end of the day.

The day and year soon came to an end, bringing about a celebration of the year's ending. However, as one year ended, another began. Adventures were like years in that respect, as one ended, the next one was right around the corner. The story of Sonic, Hayate, and the Wolkenritter had only just begun and their next adventure awaited them.

* * *

 **[ED: "Mi-Ra-I" Run & Gun, Sonic X OST]  
[End of Chapter 4]**

Author's Notes: And with that, we can close the book on the Tome of the Night Sky arc. I won't say for sure what is next, but I'll leave you all with a cryptic hint to solve. Look-a-likes will meet on a world where time is twisted and those who were thought to be dead live again.


	5. Chapter 5

SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in the start of a new arc for Wind of the Night Sky. So yeah, we got Sonic crashin at Hayate's place for a while longer… and with the Tornado fixed, things are looking fine and peaceful, but we all know how long that will last. As usual, I own no canon characters from either side of this crossover.

* * *

 **-January 3** **rd** **, 0066 New Calendar*-  
[South Island Archipelago]  
[Never Lake]  
[BGM: "Little Planet" Sonic CD OST (JPN/EU)]**

Never Lake, a beautiful body of water situated on a large island a mile or two off the coast of South Island, has long been the subject of a legend lost to time. It was a large, beautiful, clear lake in an open, green-field landscape with the occasional rock formation. Steep cliffs surrounded the circumference which prevented the natural formation of any beachheads. Around the clearing of the wide pool were several mountains and sizable rock formations. A lone river was connected to the main body to flow water into it.

According to the legend, for one month of every year, a small planet would appear above the magnificent lake. Nobody knew what this satellite was called officially, so they had simply called it "Little Planet" or "Miracle Planet". It had been well over eleven months since the last appearance, so logic would presume that the mysterious orb was due to appear once more.

A lone hedgehog girl approached the lake with purpose. The girl had pink fur on most of her body and peach skin on her muzzle, arms and belly, if her attire ever showed such. She had emerald-green eyes, six short but spikey head spines and three bangs on her forehead, separated by a red headband. Two smaller quills protruded from her back above her short tail. Her attire consisted of a green polo shirt with puffed sleeves and a white collar and trim to match. At her waist was an orange-yellow ruffled skirt that showed off her pink legs nicely. For her feet, a pair of blue and white running shoes with orange laces while white cuffed gloves fitted nicely to her hands.

As the girl approached, she heaved her signature hammer, known as the Piko Piko Hammer, over her shoulder. The hammer had a red head, twin flexible yellow faces and a pink handle designed for her grip. Though the hedgehog girl looked young, the way she carried the special mallet indicated that she knew how to wield it and was undeterred by its weight.

"Finally!" The girl sighed to herself as she let the hammer rest at her feet, "Never Lake at last..."

The little hedgehog female took out several tarot cards and looked at them in her left hand. A light pink aura flared about her body briefly she made the cards float before her with a wave of her hand; their images lining up in a horizontal gathering before her eyes. To many, the practice of tarot reading can be a waste of time, but this girl felt different. Though she was young, she held a certain sight; an ability to divine and predict the future from said cards. That said, even she would admit that they can be trying on her patience and their accuracy was comparable to a horoscope.

"A destined encounter will occur soon, but it may not be with whom you expect…" She spoke softly, mysteriously, "Your future holds arduous and nigh impossible trials, but do not be afraid… fear not…fret not…

"A new entity will expose you to a new power." Confusion etched into the hedgehog girl's tone as the reading reached the last verse, "Follow your heart and stay your course."

The girl's face took on an adorable look of thoughtfulness as she tried to analyze the reading she was given. Her heart had almost skipped a beat when she read the first part with a destined encounter, but hearing it was not with whom she expected it to be with had demoralized her somewhat.

"I came here because my last reading said I would have a destined encounter with one that I liked here, but now with someone I don't expect?" The girl grumbled vocally as she dismissed her aura and stowed her cards away, "Mou…"

As the girl sat down on a rock to pout, a flash of light emitted from a central point above the lake that had forced her to close her eyes. Once the light settled, a small planet had been left behind in its wake; floating on a rotational axis.

"What the?!" Shock was first expressed on the girl's face; though that soon gave way to realization as she recalled an old legend, "Wait… could that be the Miracle Planet spoken of in myth? No wa-"

The rumblings of rockslide interrupted her as one of the mountain faces shattered and crumbled away, leaving a weird carving in its place. A face of a bald human male with a spiky, weird moustache was carved into the face of the mountain for an odd reason. As if to add to the growing shock, a chain was fired off from the "mouth" of the mountain and attached itself to the planet.

"Doctor Eggman!" exclaimed the pink hedgehog in identification as she watched a battalion of robots, led by a man whom the mountain was shaped after, began to invade the planet above.

The hedgehog looked around as if expecting something or someone else to show up. Her expectations were soon dashed as despite waiting a good part of several minutes, not a soul was to be seen. This young girl was not one to let herself be downed by fear of the aggression so easily.

"Well then, if Sonikku won't show up…" The pink hedgehog stood up and hoisted the hammer over her shoulder, "Then Amy Rose will have to cover for him!"

With a swiftness to her step, the hedgehog, aptly identified as Amy Rose, made her way up the chain and ascended into the new world. However, shortly after she landed, she was immediately intercepted by a small blur of golden-yellow hair and crimson-red eyes; thus, a new adventure began.

* * *

 **[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Mizuki Nana, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's]**

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 5  
Little Planet Phase 1: Meaning of Birth**

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Residential]  
[Yagami Residence]  
[No BGM]**

Crimson eyes gazed at the ceiling as Reinforce woke from her slumber. She looked out the window to find the light of the rising sun shine beautifully in the bedroom. Unable and unwilling to resist, she relished in the peaceful morning atmosphere. It was a simple given for many, but for the woman who had often spent centuries held within a dangerous Lost Logia that used to have a cycle of death, destruction and reincarnation, it was a blessing.

' _How long have I missed being able to wake up in the physical world? I suppose I should get used to this,'_ The woman thought to herself softly as she gazed at a figure cuddled in the bedsheets beside her, _'Much like others…'_

She lightly pulled the covers away to reveal the sleeping form of Sonic, the blue hedgehog who was arguably the trigger to the events that led to the current situation. A kind smile of innocent adoration blessed her face as she watched the blue boy react to the light shining on his body. The hedgehog was slowly stirring out of his own sleep.

"Sonic-san, you've done many things for my mistress and my knights. I don't think there's any amount of gratitude enough that I can show. But," Reinforce wrapped her arms in a warm, kind, motherly embrace around the hedgehog. Unknowingly due to the size difference, she had pushed the hedgehog boy's face deep into her ample, generous, round bosoms, "I'll do what I can to protect you and the happiness you bring us…"

The silver-haired beauty might have gotten lost in her kind, innocent embrace, had she not felt the boy stir more. She could feel movement of the hedgehog's spiny, but soft, head against the cleavage gap in her sleeping gown. Humorously enough, she also soon heard Sonic mutter something in a tired voice.

"Mou, Reinforce…" Sonic groaned tiredly, half-asleep, "Can't breathe. Big, soft, bouncy things blocking…"

"Oh, sorry!" Reinforce quickly released the hedgehog so he could breathe, feeling more shameful for nearly suffocating the poor hedgehog than to be embarrassed by the situation.

"Ufu~!" a musical giggle, belonging to Hayate, echoed from the cracked-open door to the shared bedroom, where the Mistress of the Night Sky had watched the scene with humor, "Good morning, Reinforce-san, Sonic-kun."

"Yo~!" the hedgehog, still half-awake, droned out with a small wave.

"Mistress!" red tinted the cheeks of Reinforce as the embarrassment started to settle in, "Um, this isn't…"

"What it looks like, I know." Hayate had a knowing, but mischievous expression to her face, "Sonic-kun's just too cute to not cuddle with. Shamal-san does the same thing and I'm still trying to get Signum-san and Vita-chan converted, but it's a slow process with them.

"At any rate, breakfast is almost ready…" the brunette started to turn her chair towards the dining room, "We should hurry too. Limietta-san is coming over soon with Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan; looks like something important too."

Both hedgehog and unison device nodded in acknowledgement as they watched Hayate leave. Neither of them took long to change as all Sonic had to do was put on his gloves, socks and shoes while Reinforce's outfit, a sweater and skirt combination with black stockings, was already laid out. The embarrassing situation from before was swiftly behind them. Although Sonic had innocently failed to see what the trouble was aside from the breathing issue, he refrained from asking out of respect for Reinforce's comfort.

 **[Dining Room]  
[BGM: "Honobono" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha OST]**

Surprisingly, Vita and Signum were already waiting at the table for Sonic and Reinforce, though Vita looked about as awake as Sonic did earlier. Shamal had just finished laying out the plates and a bowl for Zafira when she spotted the two enter. She could see the awkward look on the unison knight's face, but only offered a nod of understanding and sympathy, saying nothing else.

The family gathered fully at the table for a peaceful and delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs. As Sonic ate, he took notice that Hayate was still in her wheelchair, despite the fact that her paralysis was only mending. He could not help but feel confused and concerned for her sake.

"Uh, Reinforce…" Sonic paused in-between bites, "You said you could give Hayate the ability to walk freely, didn't you?"

"Correct," Reinforce nodded calmly, taking note of the glances on her from all parties.

"So, why not do it now?" the hedgehog asked, somewhat understandably so out of concern.

"I could…" The woman admitted calmly, taking a moment to sip her tea before continuing, "But to do so now would be a detriment to her health. She had spent a significant amount of time crippled. To reverse all of that now, without giving her legs the time to build up their strength to support her weight again…"

"Oh…" trailed off the hedgehog in understanding.

"She will be able to walk again." Sincerity was all that could be felt in Reinforce's tone as her message was for all in the family, "It is only just a matter of time."

"Thank you for the concern, Sonic-kun…" Hayate spoke softly with a smile, "But, I've spent so much time crippled already. The time it takes for my legs to heal will only make that final moment better, when I can walk, like everyone else."

Breakfast went by smoothly, and it had both Sonic and Vita fully awake and ready to take on the day. The others could only smile and sigh at the energy displayed by the hedgehog and girl. It was hard to fault either of them, though, as they often used that energy productively, when they were not playing pranks on one another.

 **[No BGM]**

The family had just finished putting away dishes when Amy Limietta had arrived with Nanoha and Fate in tow. Hayate's initial presumption of a serious matter had been correct as the guests were well prepared to give a debriefing.

"I'm sorry for bothering you on a nice day," Limietta said remorsefully, "But we have a potential crisis developing."

"What's the situation?" Signum was the first to query.

In an instant, Amy pulled up a map of the South Island archipelago on a magitek viewing screen in the living room. There was a large red dot flickering from one of the smaller islands off the coast of South Island. The coordinates and positioning had triggered a sense of familiarity from Sonic, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

"About 20 minutes ago, Raising Heart and Bardiche picked up a distress beacon from an unregistered device." Limietta gestured a pointed finger at the dot, "The signal is weak from unknown interference, but I was able to determine that a mage is operating under duress and is requesting aid."

"How can we be sure of that?" Reinforce asked.

" _ **The source of signal is a Mid-Childan Intelligent Device, like myself and Raising Heart."**_ Bardiche spoke up, taking the form of a pendant on Fate's neck.

" _ **Devices like us are able to call out to one another, either automatically or upon command."**_ Raising Heart added, also taking a standby form of a pendant around Nanoha's neck.

"The beacon came in on one of the emergency channels we use in the Bureau, and we were able to track it here." Amy gestured to the island, "On an island just a few miles away from South Island."

As soon as Amy had said that, all eyes had fallen upon the resident "expert" of the islands, Sonic. The hedgehog, to his credit, had a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the map. It was evident that he knew, or at least strongly suspected, what the island was.

"Sonic-kun?" Hayate tapped his shoulder softly to get his attention.

"Never Lake, Little Planet…" Sonic approached the map and ran a gloved finger along the island in question, "It's an urban legend only spoken of in stories."

Briefly, the hedgehog told the gathered group all he knew about the legend in question. He had heard rumors about the miracles the planet could grant, but his main concern was on the power it was said to have. If the mage was truly under duress on Little Planet, Sonic had one reasonable guess as to the culprit.

"Doctor Eggman…" Sonic unconsciously clenched his gloved fist, "If there's anyone who would use Little Planet for their own desires, it's him."

"Given what you've told us of him before, it makes sense." Amy added thoughtfully, "If he's allowed to get what he wants…"

"We should dispatch him posthaste," Signum looked at the teenaged liaison, "Is that allowed?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. Eggman-san's ideals spell trouble for us and he must be stopped." Amy Limietta said with a small shrug, "I'll have to ask that you allow Fate-chan and Nanoha-chan to accompany you and identify the source of the distress beacon and hear out their story."

"Acceptable." nodded the Blazing General, Signum as her gaze fell upon the hedgehog, "I presume you are joining in."

"Of course~!" winked Sonic.

Reinforce stepped forward, in front of Shamal, Hayate and Zafira. Her tone was formal and apologetic, "My apologies, but you will have to leave us behind. Neither myself nor the mistress have recuperated enough from our battle with NachtWal and we will need these two for protection."

"No apology is necessary," Signum shook her head, "With Takamachi, Testarossa, myself, Vita and Sonic-san, we should be able to manage."

"Alright!" the energetic officer and lone true representative of the Bureau on the planet cheered as she threw out a pointed finger into the air, "Deploy!"

* * *

 **[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]  
[Little Planet: Palmtree Panic Zone]  
[Time Zone: Present]  
[BGM: "Eeto Desu Ne" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha OST]**

One might think that for the tropical region of Little Planet known as Palmtree Panic, with its sharp mountains and scattered waterfalls in the backdrop, palm trees and star-shaped plants littering the coast and pipes that ran water through the zone to make miniature waterfalls; it would be less than an ideal place for an awkward encounter. However, it seemed as though two individuals had missed that memo as the tension between them was thick yet humorous.

On one hand, there was Amy Rose, a seemingly kind, gentle, innocent young girl with just the HINT of a crush on another hedgehog. She had only visited Little Planet because the subject of her crush was predicted to be there, she hardly expected to run into an enigma like the one before her.

On the other side of this awkward confrontation was a young human girl who bore an astounding resemblance to Fate Testarossa, albeit a head shorter. Teal ribbons had tied her lovely, long hair partly into twin-tails while the rest went down to the small of her back. Her Barrier Jacket was a white sleeveless shirt with a teal necktie attached to a deep blue collar. Matching blue cuffs were fastened to her wrists, and left her whole arms bare, with the exception of a teal ribbon attached to her left arm at the bicep. A white-blue short skirt was worn at her waist with a bluish-green miniskirt above it that was parted to expose the underskirt. Metallic plates were secured to her waist and flowed into deep blue waist-cape that had insignias of stars just at her hips. At her right ankle was a teal ribbon while white and blue tennis shoes completed her look.

Her device, codenamed: "Lucky Star", was unique in the sense that it was not one, but two weapons that were dual-wielded. In her right hand was a paper-fan with a big blue star emblem on the face and a matching blue gem at the hilt. For her left hand, a small handgun with a matching color scheme that resembled more of a toy squirt gun, a probable testament to the human child's youth.

Both girls stared down one another warily, their bodies dripping in sweat and breathing shortened. From the immediate surroundings, it seemed as though the girls had fought. Although, there was also the presence of scrap metal, perhaps a few robots had also gotten in between the two.

"You're not bad." Amy Rose complimented genuinely.

"I don't really like fighting, but that doesn't mean I can't hold my own…" The blonde sighed and wiped her forehead of the dripping sweat, "Look, during our spat, Lucky Star told me that at least four mages are on the way here after I sent out the distress beacon. I'd rather not wait for them because I don't know if they're friend or foe.

"Now can we go back to my previous questions?" Truthfully, the short blonde, nice as she may look, seemed to be under some stress and her patience was thinning, "I had three: What world is this? What is the current year and month according to the New Calendar? And who are you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." the pink hedgehog, understandably so, was a little bit confused, "I can at least say my name, but it's kinda rude to ask for someone else's name without giving your own."

"We're really not getting anywhere with this… oh well, I'll at least give you my name," The girl smiled cheerfully and bowed, "My name is…"

* * *

 **[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]  
[Several miles away from Little Planet]  
[No BGM]**

"Alicia, Alicia Testarossa…" Fate spoke with a strained voice, as if the name had hurt to say, "Kaa-san's real daughter, my original."

Alicia's name had come up as Fate had retold her story to Sonic and the Wolkenritter during their trek to Little Planet. Sonic had taken to the ground while the mages and knights followed him closely. Fate had felt somewhat guilty for seemingly avoiding the topic when she and Nanoha spoke of the Jewel Seed incident. Because of that and the time they had, she felt that the three deserved to know.

Fate Testarossa, as her story revealed, was actually an Artificial Mage, rather a biological life form not made by the normal methods of conception. She was created by her mother, Precia Testarossa, in an attempt to resurrect the woman's dead daughter, Alicia. Supposedly, Alicia had died as a result of a prototype energy generator meltdown. Precia, who was developing the prototype, had been forced to ignore safety regulations when her superiors put pressure on her.

Distraught, Precia had shifted her scientific focus from energy to life. She had involved herself in the illegal scientific research of cloning, hopefully as a means of bringing Alicia back to life. Eventually, she was successful in creating a clone; one that would have been a perfect replication, if not for one small detail: Alicia was left-handed, while Fate was right. The mad-woman, driven even more by her perceived failure, refused to accept the copy as a replacement for her daughter, not even bothering to give her a real name, instead coining her after the project that had brought her to life: Project Fate.

"Project Fate… Fate, Fate Testarossa!" Sonic thought out loud as he connected the dots, "What is it with mad scientists and their bad naming clichés?"

"Sonic-kun!" Nanoha chastised the blue blur, "This is very sensitive to Fate-chan, please don't be rude."

"It's fine, Nanoha," Fate shook her head, truly the girl did not seem able to hold a grudge against anyone, "As I think about it now in a different light, it does seem kinda silly."

"Regardless, I believe we should continue the story." Signum interjected, "You were talking about the Jewel Seeds?"

Nanoha took over the narration from there whilst Fate chimed in when needed. She had gotten involved in the incident when a shapeshifting archeologist, Yuuno Scrya, had gotten injured after trying to seal the relics on his own. From what she was told, Yuuno's ship had suffered an interdimensional accident that had scattered the Jewel Seeds all over Earth, primarily Japan and the western Pacific Ocean and with Yuuno recuperating, it was up to her to seal them.

"Yuuno-kun said that he sought me out because I could hear him." Nanoha added, "Apparently I had alot of magical potential,"

"I can attest to that." Vita confirmed the statement, "That was the reason I went after you that one night."

"Given what was said before, I'm going to assume that Fate was collecting these Jewel Seed things as well." Sonic guessed, rather fairly with what information was stated, "Right?"

"Kaa-san had sent me and Arf to gather them. Nanoha and I clashed over them several times." Affirmed Fate, "Each clash, she tried to reach out to me, but I never listened. I wanted to see kaa-san smile, but she never did for me."

One of the clashes generated the interdimensional disturbance which drew the Bureau's attention and that was when they got involved. Nanoha had aligned herself with them because the incident had localized over her homeworld, making the incident a race to gather them all. As this race continued, Precia grew more unstable, lashing out at Fate, which had enraged Alph, the girl's familiar, into striking back.

It was Alph who had started the chain of events that had led to Fate's defection. Precia injured the wolf-girl in retaliation and the familiar had just barely managed to escape. Arisa, who by pure coincidence was one of Nanoha's best friends, had found the wolf and nursed her back to health. Nanoha and Yuuno initiated contact with the injured familiar while visiting. They had come to an agreement that Alph would help them so long as they saved her master.

"Fate-chan and I had one last battle." Nanoha glanced into Fate's eyes, "A winner-take-all for the Jewel Seeds."

"I lost…" Fate looked away for a moment, "Kaa-san was mad. She intervened and took the Jewel Seeds I had before I could surrender them."

Fortunately, while Precia had initiated her attack from her realm known as the "Garden of Time", the Bureau were still able to trace and launch an offensive in hopes of capturing the criminal. During that attack, Fate's defection was made official.

Precia had revealed to all just what her plans were and how she felt about her daughter. The Jewel Seeds were collected for the purpose of reaching the ancient civilization, Al-Hazard, so she could resurrect her Alicia. She claimed to have never seen Fate as a daughter, merely a means to an end; a failed duplicate that she had mercifully implanted the memories of Alicia Testarossa into. Fate was heartbroken, shocked, she could hardly believe it, yet Precia went on and effectively disowned her.

"I was able to recover with Bardiche and went to confront kaa-san myself." Fate, although tearful, continued on, "I told her just what I felt. That despite all that she said, I wanted to save her from this. But she-"

"Look out!" Signum had been forced to interrupt her former rival when one of the mountains up ahead started to burst and create a massive avalanche of rocks, "Rock slide!"

Pressed for time, the four in the air immediately tried to dart away from the falling boulders while Sonic took a different approach. The hedgehog, in a display of his amazing agility, leaped from each rock as if they were stepping stones, but soon reached one that was too big for such a feat. As the massive boulder's shadow enveloped him, Sonic leaped forward, rolled into his spin-form, pierced straight through the middle of it and then jumped forward. His momentum had taken him to the peak of an undamaged mountain, where the others followed him.

"Unexpected, yet effective." Signum calmly complimented the hedgehog.

"That was a bit reckless. You should be a bit more careful," Nanoha tried to advise the blue hedgehog, but found the silent treatment in response, "Um, are you listening?"

"Look." Sonic pointed a gloved finger ahead.

The others followed Sonic's gaze and were shocked by the sight before them. Little Planet was there, but it was covered in machinery and a long chain connected it to a rock formation with Eggman's face carved into it. As serious as the situation seemed, seeing the caricature of a rock formation played against it.

"Yup, that's Eggman alright. I recognize that bald head anywhere." Sonic grimaced at how unsightly the mountain looked, "I will never get his tastes, though."

"Bardiche, is the beacon up there?" Fate asked of her device

" _ **Yes sir!"**_ Bardiche replied, _**"Signal strength is getting stronger."**_

"Judging from the machinery, it appears that we will have company to deal with," Signum glanced at the hedgehog in a hint of concern, "Is everyone ready?"

"Yes!" Both Fate and Nanoha nodded at the same time.

"Feh…" the crimson iron knight, Vita, smirked, "It doesn't matter what we're up against. We'll beat down anyone who causes trouble!"

"Hehe~! I like that attitude," The blue hedgehog had a smirk equaling the confidence displayed by the knight, "Here we go~!"

Without delay, the hedgehog leaped from the peak, spin-dashed down the cliffside to build up speed and launched off a natural ramp-like lip. To the surprise of the mages and knights watching, Sonic had enough speed to generate a sonic boom that launched him into the air with enough carry to land halfway up the long chain.

Vita bit back a comical curse and took off after him with Nanoha in tow. Fate had to take a moment to gather her bearings and courage before she took off in pursuit. Signum, having waited to make sure the others were not left behind, took off as well to bring up the rear.

* * *

 **[Little Planet]  
[Palmtree Panic: Act 1]  
[Time: Past]  
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic 'P' Mix" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

A lovely turquoise sky served as a backdrop for this prehistoric coastal region of Little Planet. Short, purple mountains complimented the palm trees and natural waterfalls. As lovely of a sight it was, for Alicia Testarossa, it was a sight she had grown accustomed to during her stay. She had wanted something more, something like the plains she used to go to with her mother on picnics. Despite all of that, it was her home now, and she would protect it with her life.

The girl had travelled to the past after she found something in the present that did not belong there. She had come alone as for some reason her pink hedgehog acquaintance had been unable to follow her through the time warp. Regretfully, she might add, as Amy had seemed to be competent enough to hold her own.

Regardless, she had had her job to do and a planet or two to save. After a brief flyover of the past, she had found not one, but two objects that did not belong. The first was some sort of projector device that had displayed an image of a metallic hedgehog, stomping his foot on the ground in front of a cute and cuddly squirrel. Likely put in by the moustached egg that seemed to be the mastermind of the invasion. A good photon bullet had made quick work of the projector.

The second item that she had found had appeared to be some sort of teleportation device. It had two identical shells of black, yellow and silver with yellowish energy flowing in between them. Alicia had surmised that the device was used for teleportation because she could see robots spawning from it. Much like the projector, it went down simply after she smashed it once with her paper fan.

"And that makes two." The girl hoisted her paper fan over the left shoulder, "That should keep those creepies from showing up here."

The gem on her paper fan emitted a loud, beeping noise and flickered as a communication channel opened up. There was no face on the other end, but she could hear the beeping and typing of a computer in the background.

"Yes~?" She chimed out almost musically.

"The mages who had found our distress beacon have landed on the planet." An older female voice spoke from the other end, "They're in the same zone you are, but in the present timeline. They appear to be friendly."

"How can you be sure if they're friend or foe?" Alicia, fairly so, countered, "They only just landed, didn't they?"

"Fate is one of them." The voice spoke with a painfully suppressed sigh, as if regretful, "Another is her friend. There are three others with them that I presume are also friendly units, given the reactions between them."

"My imouto (little sister)?! The one you've been telling me about?!" the youth almost dropped her device in pure joy and excitement, "Yay! I finally get to meet her!"

"Do please try to be gentle with her. She's been through so much." One could swear they heard the voice on the other hand mutter something about it being by their own hand, "I want you to head off to the Future zone and meet them there."

"Why not go now?" Alicia asked.

"Because your pink acquaintance is about to find them first." spoke the voice one last time, "And things will get complicated, it's best that you avoid it for now and head for the future. I'll make sure they get there."

"Roger! Roger!" Saluted the young blonde as the communication feed cut there.

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky: bio card #9: Fate]  
Name: Fate Testarossa  
Katakana: ****フェイト** **・** **テスタロッサ** **(Fe-i-to Te-su-ta-ro-ssa)  
Age: 09  
Gender: Female  
Height: 130 cm  
Weight 28 kg  
Color: Golden  
System: Mid-Childa  
Rank: AAA+ (Air)  
Device: Bardiche Assault  
Familiar: Alph**

 **[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky: bio card #10: Alicia]  
Name: Alicia Testarossa  
Katakana: ****アリシア** **・** **テスタロッサ** **(A-ri-sh-ia Te-su-ta-ro-ssa)  
Age: 11*  
Height: 105 cm  
Weight: 20 kg  
Color: Turqouise  
System: Mid-Childa  
Rank: AA+ (Air)  
Device: Lucky Star**

* * *

 **[Little Planet]  
[Palmtree Panic: Act 2]  
[Time: Present]  
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

Sonic, alongside Signum, Vita, Nanoha and Fate touched down on the grassy surface of the palm tree zone. They were taken in awe by the beauty of the zone before them. Nanoha and Fate admired the unique yet fitting color combination of the aesthetics. Though Signum and Vita took the surroundings in stride, even they had to be impressed. As for the hedgehog, he was reminded, in a good way, of Green Hill and drew the parallels between the two zones.

Outside of the beautiful landscape, the first thing that everyone noticed was the scrapped corpses of robots that littered the field. Flowers had grown from the spot where the scrap metal was.

"I wonder if this will become a recurring theme." Sonic opined out loud, "The whole first zone being some green-fielded landscape out of a calendar thing."

"Someone has beaten us to the action, it seems." Signum gestured to the pieces of scrap that laid before them, "We've walked into a battlefield."

"Not a single scrap left for us," Vita pouted a bit as she kicked the head of one of the robots that resembled a mosquito.

"There will be more." The general of the Wolkenritter assured her fellow knight. Her focus went to the hedgehog, "Will you be alright here? To our knowledge, you used your last ring in the mock battle on New Year's Eve."

"Oh~ Rings! Rings! Rings! Whatever shall I do without…" The blue hedgehog grinned in a sing-song fashion as he pulled out four golden rings, "Rings!"

"Eh!?" Nanoha and Fate both blinked rapidly in shock.

"Hehe~! Reinforce and Hayate were apparently experimenting with some of the new data from the Book and made these things." Sonic explained briefly as he twirled the rings into the air, "They asked me to test them out, so I figure why not have a live test out here."

"A convenient boon." while Vita was surprised, Signum mildly took the positive of the breakthrough, "Let us not waste it."

The group started their descent into the zone. They kept close to the ground as the terrain made it difficult to fly without avoiding low hanging obstacles and walls. For Sonic, it felt nice to stretch his legs and run again. It was a bit confusing to find the lack of robots in the zone and flowers blooming where machines might normally have been. They soon stopped at what had appeared to be a plate-like signpost with the word "Future" written on it.

"What is this thing?" Sonic asked as he looked at it.

"Some sort of sign." Vita analyzed it visually, somewhat pointing out the obvious, "But what is it doing here?"

"Maybe someone put it here?" Nanoha offered as she looked at it, "It says 'future', but what future?"

The group was so focused on the sign, they had lost track of their surroundings. They were soon brought back to reality when a high-pitched voice shouted from a different direction and seemed to be coming closer and closer. Fate was the first to notice it, as she looked around in confusion, trying futilely to pinpoint the source of the voice. Nanoha, Vita and Signum, in that order, were the next to look around, futilely, but kept their weapons close just in case. Sonic, unfortunately did not notice it until he was too late.

"SONIKKU!" The voice shouted as the blue hedgehog was suddenly tackled hard to the ground by a pink blur!

"Uwah!" Sonic yelped in shock as the blur, who turned out to be a pink hedgehog, had clung to his chest and nuzzled in place, "H-hey!"

"Oh~ Sonic!" the pink hedgehog, Amy Rose, spoke her crush's name romantically as she nuzzled against the honest efforts of her blue crush to break free, "How long I've wanted to see you."

"Oy! you!" Vita, using more strength than she had anticipated, pried the pink girl off of Sonic and threw her to the ground with the momentum "What the heck are you doing!?"

"Ah?" Amy blinked, suddenly finding herself with Laevatein threateningly close to her throat, courtesy of Signum. Her survival instincts kicked in rather quickly as she leaped back and bowed her head rapidly in an apologetic manner, "I'm sorry! I just kinda lost control of myself there."

"Do you always "lose control" when you see other hedgehogs?" Vita, unable to resist, snapped at the girl, "Or is blue boy here just that special?"

"Eh heh heh…" a sheepish giggle escaped Amy's lip, "Well, he saved my life a while back, and I've been trying to thank him since."

Signum sheathed Laevatein and folded her arms under her chest, keeping herself between both hedgehogs, "A rather unorthodox method of thanking someone."

The situation had become calm, though incredibly awkward. Amy could not stop staring longingly at Sonic while the latter, justifiably so, was more than a little creeped out. There have been bad first impressions, but this one seemed to have taken the cake as the heroes had to ponder what to do with the pink hedgehog. Sonic and Vita wanted to up and ditch the pink girl while Nanoha and Fate, reasonably, wanted to give her a chance to explain herself.

Amy, on the other hand, seemed confused with everything. She could hear the quintet whispering amongst each other but could not discern what was said. As the group before her talked, she took mental notes on their appearances.

Her hero Sonic was obviously there, that was a given, but he was accompanied by such a strange company. That red girl with the polo mallet and rough attitude was really rude to her for no apparent reason. The pink-purple woman had the scary sword and that glare most definitely did not make Amy need to change her underwear. The auburn girl in white with the staff looked nice, and then there was the blonde...

"Say…" Amy Rose found herself closing in on the blonde in confusion, "You look awfully familiar."

"Um, you must be mistaken." Fate shook her head in confusion masked by uncertainty, "We… We haven't met before."

"No no, I think it was you or a doppelganger." the pink hedgehog was sure of it, "Though now that I think of it, she seemed shorter. But she had your eyes and hair and looked just like you."

Before the pink hedgehog could go any further in her interrogation, she was thrown back by a sudden shockwave that hit the signpost from out of nowhere. The sheer force caused the plate to spin rapidly and the five that were closest to it soon disappeared in a blinding light.

"Huh?!" Amy Rose stood up and looked around in complete confusion.

* * *

 **[Palmtree Panic: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic 'G' Mix" Sonic CD JPN/EU]**

The time warp had led Sonic and his party of four to a mechanized but bright, vivid coastal zone like the previous time points. A majority of the star-shaped plants and palm trees have become mechanical and acted as transports for clean, clear water. Water had appeared to power this zone as they could all see it flow in waterfalls in the background.

"Whoa…" Even Sonic was left utterly speechless by the sight.

"Pretty…" Nanoha and Fate echoed each other's thoughts in awe as they stared.

"We were taken here it seems…" Signum kept herself stoic and on guard, "Likely for a reason."

"That sign was spinning," Vita noted from memory, "Maybe it somehow took us here?"

" _ **Sir!"**_ Bardiche suddenly spoke, _**"Emergency beacon source is estimated to be 15 kilometers ahead."**_

" _ **The signal is much stronger than before."**_ Raising Heart added.

"That probably means we're getting closer to it," opined the blue hedgehog, "We should hurry."

The others agreed and started to make their way forward. They were only able to go a few steps, however, before they noticed something was wrong. The area behind them became obscured in an eerie fog while the sky tinted itself an ominous yellow. While the magically sensitive knights and mages had picked up on the sudden change of environment swiftly, it Sonic who had beat them to the punch.

"I got a bad feeling about this…" The blue hedgehog let himself drift off for a moment in thought, "The sky was definitely not the color of that weird thing Shamal made for breakfast the other day."

"A barrier." Signum's hand wrapped around the hilt of Laevatein, ignoring the hedgehog's jive on the knight of the lake's cooking, however true it may have been, "And we just walked into it."

"Someone's expecting us," Vita heaved Graf Eisen over her shoulder, smirking ever so slightly, "To set this up ahead of time."

Nanoha, on the other hand, started to add up the coincidences. The sign from before was activated, which somehow sent them here, the signal from the distress beacon was not weakening, in fact it was getting stronger. This barrier was only the topping of the cake of coincidences.

"Raising Heart," The girl questioned of her device, "Can you tell if the source of the barrier and the distress beacon are one in the same."

" _ **It is confirmed, my master."**_ Raising Heart chimed from the gem as its staff rested in Nanoha's left hand.

" _ **Distance to the source approximated at 12 kilometers."**_ Bardiche added.

"Thank you, Bardiche…" Fate was still troubled by the words of the pink hedgehog from before, though she was able to keep her feelings in check and not so blatant to the rest of her comrades, _'Looks just like me…'_

* * *

 **[Metallic Madness]  
[No BGM]**

A man sat at a computer desk in a cold, dimly lit room. He was a tall human with a rather comically egg-shaped figure, a bald head and one of the most ridiculous spiked moustaches in the world. Yet the aura of evil that seemed to emanate from this man was undeniable. His attire consisted of blue prince-nez glasses, red jacket, black one-piece pants and boots with two silver buttons and white cuffless gloves.

This man was known throughout the world as the notorious Doctor "Eggman", though even that was an alias, as his true full name was unknown to all but himself. The doctor was known for his I.Q estimation of 300 and his mechanical genius, which he used for his nefarious deeds. Unbeknownst to many, despite his high intellect and his age, his spoiled, childish tendencies left something to be desired. It was unknown if he had any family or friends, as his only company these days was robots of his own making.

"Eggman-sama!" A robot of so little importance that it barely deserved a physical description, other than it being egg shaped, called out to its master in alert, "Zone-1 has been compromised!"

"What?!" The mad scientist shouted with no regard to the concept of an indoor voice. Swiftly, he turned to his computer and tapped a few keys, "Pull up the surveillance feeds!"

Three separate screens appeared on the monitor before him. Each was labeled for a time variant of the zone. Normally, it would have displayed live camera feeds from the Palmtree Panic zone in the past, present and future; but only static could be seen now.

"Where are the cameras?" The doctor almost shouted as he frantically typed, "Why am I not getting any signals from the teleporter or mechs?"

"It would appear that something or someone has destroyed the teleporter in the zone." Replied the mech, obviously.

"Grr!" Eggman slammed his gloved hand onto the keyboard in childish frustration, "Interlopers are ruining my plans again!"

Unfazed by its master's childish tantrum, the robot inquired, "What are your orders?"

"Direct more power to the Zone-2 teleporter and ready my Eggmobile." The scientist spoke as he stood up, "Also make sure the mechs in Zone-2 are prepared for my arrival. I want to see this interference myself."

"Understood, Eggman-sama!" the robot saluted dutifully.

If the chair that Eggman had just vacated could express emotions, it would have been relief as it was freed from having to support the comically obese human's weight. As the scientist walked through the corridors of his base, his robots had lined up to make a hall with a comically overexaggerated width to support Eggman's wide frame. The actions had the man reconsider his dieting choices for but a moment until he promptly quashed the thoughts. Silly fools, world domination always comes before weight management, Eggman's intellect was beyond recognition and doubt!

* * *

 **[Palmtree Panic: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[BGM: "Palmtree Panic 'G' Mix" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

Sonic was not normally one to be patient or slow down for anyone, but he was more than willing to make an exception when situations required caution. The current situation had favored caution as the party had entered a barrier. Fate, Nanoha and Vita were quick to provide a brief explanation of the spell and their effects.

"Force field spells are used by mages for isolating threats." Fate spoke softly, "Arf and I were taught to use them in a previous incident."

"Yuuno-kun used barriers for isolating Jewel Seeds so that way they can be sealed safely," Nanoha added, "Time was warped a bit and it masked our magic from the public."

"Gerfangis Der Magie, the Ancient Belkan equivalent of a barrier, can do the same thing." the crimson iron rider sounded bored as she provided her own two cents, "Mid-Childan and Ancient Belkan force fields also are capable of blocking communications outside."

"So that's why you and Signum didn't answer your phones that one night. Here I thought you guys just needed a better cell carrier." Sonic chuckled a bit.

"Those within the barrier can still talk to one another with telepathy." Added Fate softly, "Or mind-to-mind communications."

"All mages are capable of it. That reminds me! We should teach you some of that." The thought had occurred to Nanoha and it had her swiftly call out Signum in mindspeak, _"Signum-san?"_

" _Understood, allow me…"_ The swordswoman drifted off in thought as she focused her mind on the hedgehog, calling out to him, _"Sonic-san?"_

"Yipes!" The hedgehog jumped comically, gripping at his furred spiky head, "Voices in my head!"

" _Apologies for startling you, but we're going to give you a lesson in telepathy."_ Signum, even in telepathy, maintained a polite, formal tone, _"It's a basic form of communication utilized by mages and knights. We broadcast or send messages amongst one another in our minds."_

" _It's so easy, idiots can pick it up."_ Vita chimed into the mental exchange.

" _Try to focus on broadcasting a thought."_ Nanoha added, then elaborated to a more simpler instruction, _"In your mind, just say something. Anything!"_

' _Hmmm...'_ Sonic thought to himself as he focused his mind on a message, _"Test, one, two, threeeeee~!"_

" _Anything but that…"_ The iron knight swore that her hedgehog ally was trolling her, _"At any rate, that's how it works."_

" _Just be careful you don't accidentally broadcast something public that you intended for just one or two friends,"_ Nanoha urged caution there, _"Also keep in mind the time and place."_

" _Such as being within another mage's barrier."_ Signum spoke once more, _"We should keep off the telepathy while we're in here, least our conversation also gets picked up by the one responsible for keeping us in here."_

Not another word was sent telepathically following the swordswoman's order. The quintet swiftly pressed on ahead through the mechanized coast. Despite the presence of the barrier, the fields were still as beautiful as ever, which kept most of the nerves at ease. Though the party had kept their guard up, no one could have predicted what laid ahead.

 **[No BGM]**

A small girl seated herself amongst a clearing filled of freshly bloomed sunflowers. Her back was turned, revealing the full head of her long golden blonde hair and the teal ribbons tied within. A small gun laid in the grass on her left in a non-threatening manner. The sudden presence had the Wolkenritter on guard while Nanoha and Fate kept their distance, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity.

"I've been waiting for you…" the girl suddenly spoke as she stood up with the gun in her left hand. Her voice, to everyone's surprise, sounded almost exactly like Fate's, albeit a bit younger.

Several things happened as the girl stood up. Signum's hand gripped the hilt of Laevatein, ready to draw it at any moment's notice. Vita tightened the grip on her hammer, though made no other moves of aggression. Sonic slowly moved into a defensive position, just in case something was about to go south. Fate and Nanoha remained completely still, the former was trying to fight off a feeling of shock while the latter consoled her.

' _It… it can't be…'_ Fate fearfully clenched Nanoha's hand within her own and gripped.

' _Fate-chan…'_ Nanoha could not help but wince as Fate's hand gripped hers so tightly in growing fear.

Slowly, the girl turned and Fate's legs shook and trembled in fear. She turned to face the party, allowing them to see her face, eyes and a kind smile. There was not a single trace of malice in her aura and body language.

"A-A-A…." Fate struggled visibly, squeezing Nanoha's hand for comfort as tears threatened from her face and she coughed out the name, "Alicia!"

"Mhmm…" Alicia kindly, softly confirmed her own identity, "I am Alicia Testarossa."

"N-no way…" Legs gave way as Fate fell to her knees, incidentally forcing Nanoha to take a kneeling position beside her.

"Fate-chan!" The auburn-haired girl placed her hand above Fate's.

Signum warily glanced between the blonde having a nervous breakdown and the one before her. She could see tears fall from the face of this new party. Her grip relaxed on Laevatein's hilt, but she kept a guarded stance, "I presume you are responsible for the distress beacon and the force field."

"Yes, thank you for coming here..." confirmed the small girl as she slowly made her approach, eyes locked firmly on the form of the kneeling, hyperventilating Fate, "May I?"

"Your presence is having a severe effect on her." The swordswoman did not move from her spot, "Why should we-"

"No! Please!" Fate shouted, hysterically trying to calm her breathing, her strength drawing from Nanoha's presence and comfort, "Please, Signum. Let me talk with her."

"Very well," Signum stepped back to allow passage to Alicia.

Alicia hastened her approach while Fate stood to meet her. As her eyes met her original's, Fate was beset by memories. She suddenly fell forward as she relived her past from her awakening and training to the pain of her mother's whip and the sting of the words spoken to her on that fateful day. It all came back to haunt her once more.

She was caught before she could hit the ground. Her eyes opened to see Alicia, the very same girl whose memories, body and face that she shared, holding her in a deep, warm embrace. Fate's emotions rapidly shifted from pain and fear to uncertainty, doubt and confusion.

"Alicia…" Fate could not fight back the tears, "Y-you… you-"

"Know… I know everything." Alicia pulled Fate back so they were face-to-face, burgundy red orbs locking onto one another, "It's okay now. Nee-san (big sister) is here."

"N-Nee-san?" the taller girl coughed from her tears, "Mine? B-but, I'm-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Alicia pulled back a bit, making sure Fate can stand on her own, "Looks like your nee-san will have to remind you of who you are, what you are. Your heart knows, but your mind just needs to catch up."

Bardiche materialized in Fate's hand as Alicia gripped the handle of her own device, which was currently in its' gun form. The smaller of the two girls took a few more steps back and readied herself in a battle-ready stance.

"I see..." Fate held her own device close to her, as she looked at her original, "This is what she wants."

"A no-holds-barred mock battle! Here and now!" Alicia declared, "If neither of us do not concede within ten minutes, it will be a draw."

"A mock battle?! Here?" Nanoha shouted out in concern, "Are you sure we have the time for this."

"I have to agree with Takamachi," Signum added, "Time is precious as it is."

The shorter girl sent a pleading look to the rest of the party. Her emotions projected outward, calling out to them as she spoke, "Please, I have been waiting for so long…"

"Very well…" the swordswoman agreed, though her tone indicated something of a stipulation, "But you will explain yourself to us immediately afterwards."

"I was going to do that anyways!" Cheerfully and optimistically, Alicia grinned and looked at the girl she coined as a little sister, "Now, let's go Fate! I'll show you your meaning of birth! GOOOOO!"

* * *

 **-Rival: Fate Testarossa vs Alicia Testarossa-  
[BGM: "Meaning of Birth" Tales of the Abyss OST]  
-Standby, ready! -  
-Phase One-  
-Engage! -**

Though hesitant as she was, Fate still resolved herself to give the mock battle her all in respect for Alicia's wishes. The taller girl immediately took to the skies and was followed swiftly by her opponent. Their bodies turned to flashes of gold and turquoise respectively as they clashed in an aerial dogfight.

The weapons clashing were opposites in of themselves; the sharpness of Bardiche's blade was well matched by the silly, yet extremely effective paper-fan that was one of Lucky Star's various forms. Sparks flew each time the weapons collided. Neither side appeared to gain any ground.

"How does it feel?" Alicia asked as she traded blocking strikes with her clone.

"Weird…" Fate replied in kind, mirroring her original's, "I still have your memories. You were a kind, gentle girl. You never really liked to fight."

"I still don't, but that won't stop me anymore. I have a reason to fight…" Alicia trailed off as she circled around Fate in mid-air to attack from behind, "I have someone I want to protect."

"Me too…" Fate blocked the strike with a Round Shield spell. Swiftly she poured more mana in to burst the barrier and send her opponent back, "I have a treasured someone that I want to protect too."

" _ **Crescent Form!"**_ Bardiche declared as it converted the head into an energy scythe.

With astounding speed and agility, Fate flew in for a powerful slash with Bardiche at Alicia's midsection. To her surprise, her foe was able to re-center herself in midair and defend with the paper-fan. The fact that the energy scythe had yet to affect the paper material was a testament to how durable it was made to be.

"Is it the auburn cutie?" Alicia asked rhetorically, giggling at the cute blush it drew from her clone, "I'm glad. She tried so hard to reach out to you."

"I don't know where I'd be without her, I'm happy we're friends..." Something occurred to Fate then and there, "Wait! How do you know abo-"

"I already told you," The smaller girl smiled as she shook her head, "I know the whole story. When I found out that you were here, I could hardly wait. I wanted to see you, I had so much to say."

The battle continued as an aerial display of elegance as both mages had seen their strengths counter their opponents. Fate had a clear advantage in overall power, speed and mobility, to which she was able to use and avoid and counter a majority of the shooting spells that Alicia had used against her. Despite that, she still found herself countered by Alicia's versatility.

Alicia was able to swap weapons and tactics on the fly and was even able to dual-wield her gun and paper-fan simultaneously, but she lacked the offensive power to make them as effective. Still, her shorter size, combined with her aerial talent and versatility created problems for her clone. Despite the advantages, neither of the two girls were able to make any true progress or secure an advantage for the first few minutes.

Meanwhile on the ground, Sonic and the others watched the battle closely. They had a good view of the battlefield and thus were able to see both girls clash with such grace and speed. The beauty of two magic practitioners sparring with explosive elegance and grace was truly awe-inspiring.

"Whoa…" Sonic whistled, "Look at them go."

"I haven't seen Fate-chan get this much into a battle since we fought over the Jewel Seeds." Nanoha added.

"Both Testarossa and her original seem to be evenly matched. Their styles are similar if a bit different in application." Signum noted in observation, "The shorter one's weapon, while unorthodox, should not be underestimated."

Vita narrowed her eyes as she observed both of the participants' body language and power output. Something started to stand out for her, "Anyone else think that Testarossa… er… Fate… is hesitating a bit?"

"Her mind is beset with recent memories that she hasn't been able to recover from." Signum acknowledged her shorter knight's observation, "Do you remember her story? Meeting the girl whose memories she shares has triggered this reaction."

"Fate-chan still doubts of her own identity..." Nanoha felt discomfort, pain even as she watched Fate's eternal turmoil take form while she was unable to help, "Can't we do something?"

"Unfortunately, not…" the tall woman shook her head, "This is Testarossa's trial to overcome."

"Fate-chan..." Nanoha held her hand close to her heart. She was so absorbed in her thought that she failed to notice a gloved hand grip her own, "Huh?"

"Don't worry~!" Sonic winked at her with a fanged grin.

"Oh…" The girl in white recalled what she has seen Fate overcome already. A small, confident smile graced her face, "Fate-chan will pull through."

True to Vita and Signum's words, Fate had started to grow hesitant generated pauses in her attacks. The pain stemming from her trauma suffered during the Jewel Seed incident had refused to go away from her mind. With that pain came uncertainty, confusion, self-doubt. Was she really her own person? Or was she a simple failed clone of the girl before her. It hurt her poor heart to even consider, yet the trauma consisted.

' _She's hesitating again, we only have five more minutes. I better take things up to the next level!'_ Alicia frowned at her sister, whom she absolutely refused to consider her a simple clone, "Lucky Star, Form-3!"

" _ **Riot Form, get set!"**_ A baritone voice, not unlike Bardiche, emitted from the device in return as its' form changed shape. While the handgun remained in her left hand, the paper-fan was replaced by a black hilt that generated a small broadsword made of pure mana that emanated sparks of lightning.

"Wha-" Fate's shocked uttering was interrupted as she suddenly felt the new blade cut lightly against her midsection, "Gugh!"

"Stop doubting yourself, Fate!" Alicia shouted at her counterpart as she combined the gun and blade into one and held the combined weapon in her left hand, "You're hurting me too! How do you think I feel? Having to see you suffer this pain you feel?"

"I'm sorry…" Tears fell from Fate's eyes, "You probably feel disappointed because of me."

"I don't! I don't care!" Now the waterworks went into overdrive for the smaller of the two, "I don't care if you're my clone or whatever! What kaa-san said to you back then was wrong. You're not a failure! You're not a disappointment! You are… You are…!"

" _ **Riot Zanber!"**_ Lucky Star declared as its master pulled the trigger and expanded the size of the blade to almost three-quarters that of Bardiche's Zanber form.

"The second daughter of the great mage Precia Testarossa! You have my memories, but you are not me! You are your own person, Fate Testarossa!" Alicia shouted fiercely as she heaved the blade upward into the sky, ready to strike, "You are my imouto! REMEMBER THIS!"

 **[No BGM]**

Too staggered from the previous attack to dodge, Fate watched somewhat helplessly as the blade fell upon her. At that moment, time seemed to have stopped for her as Alicia's tearful words resonated within her mind. Fate slowly repeated her original's words in her mind. She was the second daughter of Precia Testarossa; she was her own person, not a copy of Alicia. She was her own person, she was…

"Fate Testarossa." Fate's eyes flickered with a life renewed, reinvigorated, "Bardiche!"

" _ **Barrier Jacket: Blaze Form! Full drive: Zanber Form! Get Set!"**_ Bardiche declared just as it and Fate were about to be hit by the Riot Blade. Both device and master were engulfed in a blinding golden burst of light that forced all to shield their eyes.

 **[BGM: "Lightning Assault" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 2nd A's OST]**

Fate's flight stabilized as the light dissipated to reveal her unharmed, uninjured form. Her Barrier Jacket took a new form to represent her identity and will. The cloak, which was once black as night, turned white and the swimsuit-like part at her waist between the pink miniskirt became an inner-skirt. Bardiche, once again resembling a massive claymore with its mana blade, rested in her right hand with the blade turned to parry Alicia's strike.

"Sorry and thank you, Alicia-nee-san." Fate smiled softly, yet confidently at her original, "Because of you, my doubts are put to ease. My mind and my heart work as one from here on."

"Those are just the words I want to hear from you, imouto." Alicia smiled in return, "Now, put action to those words. Show me what you can do."

With no delay, Fate flew above Alicia almost faster than the smaller girl could track and loaded a cartridge into Bardiche. Purplish and gold lightning struck the blade and empowered it to a great deal. There was no doubt, no hesitation; Fate was willing to give it her all in one strike.

"Break through, lightning!" Fate called as she readied her blade to strike.

" _ **Jet Zanber!"**_ Bardiche chimed right on cue.

It was at that point, that the battle had went full circle and the tables had turned against Alicia. While she was able to pull up a defensive Round Shield spell with impeccable timing, Fate's full drive attack was too much and broke through. A smile that just had the slightest hint of exasperation appeared on Alicia's face as she was struck by the blade and slammed into the ground.

* * *

 **-Down-  
-Fate Win-  
[No BGM]**

"Alicia-nee-san!" Fate, a little fearful that she might have pulled a Nanoha there and overdid it on the last attack, flew down posthaste to make sure her original was alright. She was soon flanked by Nanoha and the others with the former leading the fray.

Thankfully, there was only a small crater where Alicia had landed and the girl was mostly dazed with dizzy swirls in her eyes. Her barrier jacket had a few nicks and cuts but not enough to endanger her modesty. Slowly, but surely the small girl sat up.

"That…" the cute Alicia pulled herself out of the miniature hole in the ground and shook her head to wave off the dizzy spell, "That. Was. Awesome!"

To everyone's surprise, the little kid glomped her clone and nuzzled into her softly. Fate, though surprised, smiled kindly and ran her fingers through her original's hair. Tears from both girls faces, yet Alicia was the only one who was sobbing. The smaller of the two felt so happy, she could not restrain herself.

 **[BGM Insert: "Dear My Sister, Dear My Memory" Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha The Movie 2nd A's OST]**

"I'm happy, you beat me." Alicia stared into Fate's eyes, admiring the life that had returned to them, "You had me worried there."

"It took me a while, but I found myself thanks to you…" Fate said that to not just Alicia, but to everyone else with her, "All of you, thank you."

Tearfully, emotionally, Nanoha rushed forward and embraced the taller girl. The tears and emotions were happy, ecstatic, reflecting how Nanoha felt. Her energy was contagious, it even spurned Alicia to extend the hug to include the auburn-haired girl.

"I know that you were made as a clone to me, but I don't care." Alicia gazed into Fate's tearstained eyes, "I still love you. You are the best sister I can ever ask for. I'm happy that you were made. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Alicia…" the tears fell from Fate's face like waterfall.

"And you…" The shorter turned to face Nanoha with a warm smile and an energetic nuzzling hug, "Thank you for taking care of Fate. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Your welcome." Nanoha reflexively leaned into Alicia and Fate, "Fate-chan's a kind girl, and I know you are kind too."

"We can be friends too, right?" Alicia asked.

"Sure! Just say my name." the auburn-haired girl nodded, "All Fate had to do was say my name. That's all you have to do to. My name is Takamachi Nanoha, but you can just call me 'Nanoha'."

"Thank you, Nanoha." Like Fate before her, Alicia had no issue in pronunciation and said the name without hesitation, "I look forward to what we can do as friends."

Signum allowed the three to have their moment of happiness and friendship for what felt like a few minutes. While she was a warrior at heart, she could not deny this moment for what it was. To see a bond bloom between others even when not on the battlefield was a rare yet beautiful thing. She looked at the other two with her, taking note of Vita's efforts to restrain herself from crying out of empathy, while Sonic's reaction was a bit calmer, intriguing.

"At any rate…" Unfortunately, the swordswoman could not let them linger for much longer, "I believe there is still the matter of the distress beacon to address."

"Oh yeah!" Alicia goofily giggled as she broke the embrace up. Her attention refocused on the task at hand, "I had Lucky Star broadcast it because some evil guy, who I'm declaring to be named: 'Moustached Egg', started invading our home with his machines and stuff."

"Pffffff! Moustached Egg! That's exactly who he is!" Sonic briefly made a show of pulling out a pen and pad to write down the name, "Technically, his name is Doctor Eggman, but Moustached Egg is too funny! I am so remembering that!"

"You were calling for aid?" Signum queried for the record.

"Mhmm…" Alicia nodded, "You guys will help me, right?"

"Yes!" Nanoha and Fate agreed without a second thought.

"That's kinda what we came here to do." Vita added with a shrug.

"As if I'd miss a chance to crack that egg's plans wide open" The hedgehog smirked.

"It won't be easy, he's taken over the other zones here." the smaller girl dusted her barrier jacket off, "I hope you guys are ready to get your hands dirty."

"Feh, as if that will stop us." Vita smirked in confidence that was further accentuated by the presence of the polo mallet held over her shoulder.

"A warrior is never afraid to fight." Signum added.

"I'm always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone." Nanoha said with a cheerful smile.

"I won't hesitate…" Fate nodded, "Not anymore."

If she could, Alicia's grin would have widened in admiration of her clone's resolve. Introductions were shortly made in full so Alicia could identify who was who among her party, particularly the trio of Sonic, Signum and Vita. The girl dismissed the barrier as well, if only to make sure that she had not forgotten about it.

The party, now boosted with the addition of Alicia, started to press on, advancing towards the next stage in their adventure.

* * *

 **[Little Planet]  
[Collision Chaos: Act 0]  
[Time: Present]  
[No BGM]**

As much as she wanted to deny it, Amy Rose was lost. After witnessing Sonic and his party disappear, the pink hedgehog was left to wander in her own thoughts. While the alone time helped her regain control, she was still painfully reminded of the one thing that she believed was a prime factor in her current predicament.

She, bluntly put, screwed up. The initial meeting with her hero and not-so-secret crush had gone completely south. How could she have been so stupid as to misread the situation and simply rushed in with no regards to it. If she had restrained herself from going on a lovestruck high in the presence of her crush, maybe that first meeting would have gone more smoothly, without leaving her on the wrong end of a sword.

"Alright, I can do this… I just have to apologize to Sonic and the others there." The girl chuckled sheepishly, highly doubting that it was so simple, "Assuming I don't get skewered by that lady's sword."

The little pink hedgehog was so caught up in her own thoughts, she had failed to watch her surroundings. A dark shadow descended upon her so fast that she had failed to notice it until it was too late.

"Sonic? You're not So-KYAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

 **[Ending: "Mi-Ra-i" by Run & Gun]  
[End of chapter 5]**

Author's Notes: There were a few asterisks to which I will now address

New Calendar refers to how years are counted in the Nanoha series timeline. 0066 estimates to roughly 2007 in our time.

Alicia's age is listed to be two years older than Fate's in the INNOCENT manga... i went off that for official documentation... and also to note that Alicia is the older sister despite being shorter and looking younger...

Moving on... plot twists and cliffhangers ahoy. I put a lot of thought into the Alicia/Fate battle, I hope it turned out the way I presented it. I went with a mock battle here because battles like those have a way of allowing mages to express their feelings... Nanoha and Fate had a battle like that... albeit higher risk

Anyways, yeah, I opted to not have an Eggman fight this chapter. I really wanted to put a lot of focus on this reunion and I figured that Eggman would be more likely to cut off the heroes in zone 2 rather than zone 1… and with that barrier Alicia made, he wouldn't be able to even set foot in the zone.

Finally, I left a few subtle, very subtle references here and a few hints behind the scenes of this current arc, I wonder if anyone can guess what they are.


	6. Chapter 6

SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in part 2 of the Little Planet of Wind of the Night Sky. Sure surprised a few readers there with the approach while also playing homage to the Sonic series... There will be more Sonic elements in this chapter, so no worries there. Lastly, I own no canon characters, elements or locations, they belong to their respective companies (Sonic to Sonic Team, Nanoha to Seven Arcs)

"Say"  
 _"Telepathy"  
'Thought'  
_ _ **"Device"**_

* * *

 **[Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth"]  
[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]  
[Little Planet]  
[Collision Chaos: Act 0]  
[Time Zone: Present]  
[BGM: "Collision Chaos" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

Accompanied by Alicia Testarossa, Sonic and the rest of his travelling party found themselves in an unusual psychedelic mechanized forest with an oddly established casino. Neon signs lined up across the zone with gibberish writing that not even the resident local was able to translate. A lake lay at the bottom of the zone, though it appeared inaccessible from the party's current path.

Rather than be taken in by the sights of the zone before them, the party's interest was more focused on Alicia, who seemed to be talking at a screen generated from Lucky Star. While the other mages knew what the small blonde was doing, Sonic, a newbie to the whole thing, was missing context.

"So, you're telling me she's not talking to herself?" queried the hedgehog, tone curious.

"She's communicating with someone." Nanoha answered, "We can use our devices to call others like phones and whatnot."

"Oh," The hedgehog was seemingly satisfied, though he, like the others, were still wondering just who Alicia was talking to.

Speaking of the small girl, Alicia had been reporting her progress so far with the same contact she had spoken to earlier. Though her tone was joyful, there were subtle hints of exasperation that she was unable to fully restrain. Thankfully, she was far enough away from the rest of the party, intentionally so, to keep them from overhearing.

"Yes, my imouto's fine, I'm fine. We're both fine!" Deadpanned Alicia, shooting a weird look at the screen, "Why are you worried?"

"Because Fate has been through a terrible ordeal, and your reunion triggered some of those bad memories." The woman on the other side spoke, "Also, Bardiche has been upgraded past its original design. You saw the new form and upgrades, did you not?"

"Yeah, she turned it into a sword like how I use Lucky Star's Riot Form," Alicia thought back to the fight in question, "And it also made that gun-like pumping sound that I'll have to ask her about."

"While you're at it, see if you can find out anything about the other three, but don't be suspicious about it. The last thing we need is to lose allies." Caution filled her tone, "Also, from this point on, I'll have to ask that you refrain from contacting me on this channel. I don't know if our enemy is capable of tracing the communications, and I'd rather not find out the hard way."

"Alright then. We'll be sure to stop by and check up on you." Declared Alicia with a neutral done

"Eh?!" one could hear panic comically sink into the older woman's tone and voice, "S-stop by? B-but-!"

"No buts! I'm already drawing a lot of suspicion when I told Fate that I knew everything about her." The shorter blonde was quick to argue back, her tone indicating that she had set her mind on this notion, "Besides, she deserves to know the truth. I'm just trying to find the best time to tell her."

"Be careful then…" Defeated, the older woman on the other side let out a sigh, "I believe you know what to do from here. End transmission."

A mixture of frustration and annoyance seeped into Alicia's expression as the call ended, which was unusual for the girl. Though the rest of her traveling party had heeded her wishes of privacy, there was nothing to stop the inquisitive, weird looks that they sent her way.

"I guess I made a scene." The small girl giggled in embarrassment.

"Indeed," answered Signum, her tone and voice as flat and stoic as she was.

"Is this something that you'd be able to share with the rest of the class?" Sonic questioned with a slightly humorous tone.

"I was just reporting in my progress so far, and…" Alicia fell silent for but a moment as her eyes locked on Fate's, "And... well… how do I say this…"

"If you're not comfortable, you don't have to say anything." Fate offered kindly out of respect for her original's wellbeing.

"I'm more worried about you." The smaller girl approached her sister with a somber expression on her face, "You deserve to know, but what I have to say will likely hurt you."

"Please, tell us…" Fate said kindly, politely as her hand reflexively grasped Nanoha's for comfort.

"Whelp, might as well rip the old bandage off." Alicia let out one last sigh before she spoke up, "Kaa-san is still alive."

"Eh?" Nanoha was the first to react, "You mean Precia-san-."

"Is still alive," the original raised her voice so that all around could hear, "Our mother, Precia Testarossa, is still alive."

* * *

 **[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Mizuki Nana, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's]**

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 6  
Little Planet Phase 2: A Sad Reunion**

* * *

 **[Dimensional Space]  
[Time-Space Administration Bureau Space Headquarters]  
[BGM: "Kingdom City of Meltokio" Tales of Symphonia OST]**

Deep within the vast Sea of Dimensions, light years far away from Earth, was a massive space station that served as the main headquarters for the Time-Space Administration Bureau. The main body of the station was a colossal central spire with several arms extending from it. Magnificence and beauty were few of many words that could describe the platform, but they would still do it little justice.

The main office of the Bureau housed countless offices for the government's enforcers, training grounds and even the Infinite Library, a nigh endless archive of records pertaining to history. In addition, it also housed the Administration Bureau's Dimensional Navy with supplies and facilities to accommodate ships such as the currently docked Arthra.

Throughout one of the many countless corridors strolled Lindy Harlaown. The admiral had just finished her debriefing and hearing regarding the recently concluded Book of Darkness incident, which saw to the unconditional, willing surrender of Admiral Gil Graham and his familiars.

The admiral's surrender was begrudgingly accepted, but incorporating it was up to the Inspection Department, or Internal Affairs basically. Most of the terms regarding his surrender were simple enough, including the immunization of the Wolkenritter and the Mistress of the Night Sky of any charges that could have stemmed from the actions taken.

Lindy had mixed feelings regarding that stipulation. She had little doubt that the higher ups of the Bureau would likely let the Admiral off with an early retirement and cover up his actions by using the former Book of Darkness's defense program, Nachtwal, as a scapegoat. That much was anticipated, especially after the specific mentioning of said program was emphasized, but she also felt that the Bureau was doing such to avoid another public relations nightmare with the press after drawing criticism for prosecuting a 9-year-old child abuse victim for the Jewel Seed incident. Given that, she had no doubt that the Bureau would take a more proactive approach and paint the Wolkenritter as heroic knights saving their 9-year-old master from becoming yet another victim. However accurate that portrayal was, it bothered Lindy that the Bureau would use it for the fickle reasoning of avoiding conflict with the press.

That was far from the only issue that was drawn from the incident. The fact that the Book of Darkness incident had happened on a Non-Administrated world meant that things could have been much worse. Even though the first contact with the Tome's guardians last September resulted in the draining of the Linker Cores belonging to two pivotal mages and one familiar, it drew the Bureau's attention to the world and forced an investigation. But the ghastliest fact of the matter, in which the Admiral voiced strenuously, was that had her probationary contract mage not have been allowed to visit her friend on that world, the incident likely would not have a happy ending to report on.

Furthermore, as the Admiral had stressed in her debriefing, the Book of Darkness incident had been the SECOND to happen on the same Non-Administrated world within the past YEAR alone, the first being the previously reported Jewel Seed incident. That was enough to open the eyes of her superiors to the dreaded realization that the Bureau had spent so much effort on the Administrated worlds that the Non-Administrated ones were forgotten. In addition, the admiral made a confident declaration that the next incident for the Bureau on that world was likely about to happen, and with a far more dangerous threat. That was enough to make her superiors shake in their seats in shock. The admiral left shortly after that, as her debriefing had concluded.

Much like she would do on other occasions following certain stressful hearings, Lindy took a long walk through the corridors of the base to relieve her stress. She was shortly joined by her longtime friend and fellow admiral, Leti Lowran from the Resources Department.

Leti was a woman around Lindy's age with purple hair, matching eyes and a birthmark on her forehead in a nearly identical pattern to Lindy's, albeit indigo in color. Her outfit was also identical with the only difference being the necktie being a bluish indigo. The identical uniforms were likely due to both women sharing the same rank. The biggest standout feature for Leti were her eyeglasses, the lenses set in a thick half-frame.

"Well, I'd say you certainly shook things up in there." spoke the woman calmly in regards to Lindy's extended debriefing regarding Earth, "I haven't seen our superiors startled that much since your last incident debriefing."

"I only wish I wasn't exaggerating." replied Lindy with a solemn sigh, "It's almost like the Jewel Seed incident opened the floodgates because it has been one incident after the other."

"So, you mean to say the next incident on that world is already happening?" Leti quirked an eyebrow upward curiously, "That would explain the unnatural confidence you had back then."

"I have Chrono keeping tabs on it, but before that debriefing, I received word from my information specialist on earth." Lindy nodded her head, "We picked up a distress beacon from an undocumented mage close to the city where Nanoha and Fate live. Seeing as they were already on location and the Wolkenritter were needing something to do, Amy sent them out."

"You suspect foul play." Presumed Leti neutrally but knowingly.

"Given the location." Nodded the other admiral to confirm, "I have no doubt that the source of the beacon is a mage under duress. I have reason to believe that a fledgling mastermind is making their move towards conquest, starting with that area."

"You also have reason to believe that you'll need more than a few locals to deal with this threat." Admiral Lowran watched for Lindy's reaction, "As you know, that world is non-administrated, so our power is limited here."

"I'm well aware," Lindy shook her head, "But given what is known from eyewitness accounts and the local news reports, this mastermind can be dangerous. Not to mention the fact that the Mistress of the Night Sky and her guardians have expressed a desire to atone for their crimes.

"And given that the Bureau won't prosecute her to provide an easy means for taking responsibility, I need something." Frowned Lindy, "Something to help her and protect that world."

"I believe I can be of assistance then." spoke a new, aged female voice from up ahead.

The voice belonged to an aging woman with graying bluish hair dressed in a rather important looking uniform not dissimilar to other uniforms in the higher ranked admiralty. Her appearance and aura alone was one of great importance and her identity was well known to the trio approaching her. This woman was known as Midget Crowbel, one of the three "Legendary Admirals" who served as the de facto leadership of the Administration Bureau.

"Director Crowbel!?" Lindy was the first to speak as she and Leti stood at attention with a military salute, "You honor us with your presence."

"At ease," The elderly woman waved off the formality, "I came here to discuss your report in greater detail, Harlaown."

"Was my reporting insufficient?" questioned Lindy, reasonably nervous.

"Far from it. Your report was well beyond satisfactory as usual." the Bureau Chief of Staff reassured her, "I noticed that you have a little predicament regarding a certain planet and I believe I have a solution. If the two of you would follow me?"

"Of course." there was almost a hint of a stutter in Lindy's tone, "Lead the way."

A mirthful smirk lightly graced the lips of the elder admiral as she made a hand gesture for the other three to follow her. Not one to disobey a request from one of the highest levels of the organization, Lindy and Leti followed the aging woman closely.

* * *

 **[Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth"]  
[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]  
[Little Planet]  
[Collision Chaos: Act 0]  
[Time Zone: Present]  
[No BGM]**

Much to Alicia's shock, the bombshell that she had dropped regarding her mother had drawn less of a reaction than what she had anticipated. Upon being asked, Fate, while still uncomfortable by the revelation, felt that it made sense given how much Alicia knew. Fate reasoned, logically, that her mother would have told her original about her at some point and while she was still uncomfortable, she believed that she could finally get Precia's answer.

"If I can ask though," Fate queried cautiously, "How did you and kaa-san get here?"

"Hmm…" Alicia pondered for a moment, "We simply woke up here, I guess."

"That's all?" Signum asked dryly.

"Well there is more to our story, but I don't want to get into it yet." the shorter girl shook her head, "Not when we have a few zones to clear first."

"How many?" Sonic was the one to ask this question, his adventuring spirit awakening in anticipation.

"Including that last one, seven." answered the resident guide, "Here, this is easier explained on a map."

With the help of Lucky Star, Alicia pulled up a topographic map of Little Planet. The mass of land was divided into seven sectors, each labelled with a different color, number and name. Sonic and the party were represented by a gathering of cartoonish, chibified versions of themselves placed on the map.

"We are here, the second zone, called 'Collision Chaos'. Our house is over here," Alicia pointed to an area between the third and fourth zone, "Moustached Egg has taken over the future of every one of these zones. We'll have to liberate them as fast as we can."

"And how do we do that?" Vita asked, though immediately regretted such when she saw the smirk on Alicia's face

"Hehe~!" The girl giggled as she dismissed the map, "I think it's time to introduce you to… THE TUTORIAL!"

 **[Collision Chaos: Act 1]  
[Time: Present]  
[BGM: "Collision Chaos" Sonic CD JP/EU]**

Alicia's energy and vigor were on full display as she was dead set on showing the supposed newcomers how things worked on the planet. Many of the simple rules were laid out as the team began their descent into the zone. The first rule she laid out was somewhat unconventional for an aerial mage like herself.

"First off: No flying any higher than the average jumping distance." Alicia could not stop a cringe of phantom pain, "Learned that the hard way."

"I'm guessing because of the terrain." Sonic noted, drawing from his personal experience, "Floating platforms were a thing my last time out."

"Correct, and there are many natural obstacles that discourage taking to the skies" the local girl added, "Next up. Bad guys."

Alicia had said that right as the party encountered a wave of robots lay before their path. They were five in total, three of them were shaped like moths and were thus called "Ga", while the other two, designated as "Kama-Kama" were mantis-shaped and had the ability to launch their blades as boomerangs.

"Watch this!" Alicia grinned as she took her gun to her left hand, "Lucky Star, Photon Lancer!"

" _ **Photon Lancer, semi-automatic fire,"**_ confirmed the device as five turquoise bolts appeared before them in straight horizontal line.

The following scene before the others could be best described, by Nanoha, as something straight out of a western movie. Not that she would have known; she had absolutely no way of drawing that comparison, no way at all. No, that was not a blush of embarrassment, the neon light just hit her cheeks in just the right way.

Alicia fingered the butt of her pistol like a cowboy as she lined up the shots. One could practically imagine the targets within the crosshairs, a cute skull icon appearing in the middle and a tumbleweed somehow rolling across the path.

"It's high noon…" the chibi gunslinger spoke ominously for a dramatic effect, "Draw!"

Within an instant of saying that dramatic word, Alicia drew her gun and fired all five rounds in succession. As if the girl had calculated, the robots fell where they stood. Each of them self-destructing in one shot, leaving blooming flowers in their place.

" _ **Quintuple Kill!"**_ declared Raising Heart, accurately, drawing a weird look from her master.

With a confident grin, Alicia turned to see how the rest of the party had regarded her multi-elimination streak. Her jaw went slack as most of the reactions ranged from a subdued admiration from Nanoha and Fate, the unimpressed Sonic and the indifference from Vita and Signum. The small girl sighed in comical defeat, so much for trying to impress her allies out of the gate.

She soon took notice of several shadows hovering over her and her mouth gaped in shock. Her guard had been let down long enough for six ladybug shaped robots, codenamed: "Tentou", to position themselves above the girl, ready to drop their payload.

"Heh… heh…" Alicia chuckled weakly, "Aw, c-!"

Before she could say another world, the girl was cut off by the sound of a sonic boom as a spiky blue ball blazed right past her. As if in slow motion, she could see the ball roll at an insanely high speed and rip straight through the mechs, one by one in succession. She was barely able to track it, but she watched as the ball uncurl to reveal a smirking Sonic.

" _ **Sextuple Kill!"**_ Raising Heart pinged again, which made Nanoha make a mental note not to leave the device near her brother's computer when it was in standby mode.

"Thanks for the demonstration, girly." The hedgehog patted her on the shoulder, "But I think we know what to do."

"Wh-wha?!" Alicia gaped in shock as she watched Signum and Vita follow the hedgehog up ahead, "B-but…"

"Sorry, Alicia-chan," Nanoha offered apologetically, "But this really isn't our first time doing this sort of thing."

"If it makes you feel any better," Fate came up on the other side, "I thought it was nice."

"Mou…" the small girl pouted, "This is wrong! I shouldn't have to be the one comforted."

Alicia soon made a quick enough recovery from her shocked stupor to rush ahead and take the lead as sure enough, the party reached an obstacle that she needed to explain. It was a plate-like signpost much like the one from the previous zone that was labeled "Future", only this one had the word "Past" printed on the plate in the same font.

"Hey, didn't we just see this thing?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah, but it said 'Future'." noted Vita, "This one says: 'Past'."

"I bet you're wondering what that means," Alicia guessed accurately given the expressions from the others present, "Well, allow me to show you."

Before anyone could dare to stop her, the small blonde produced her harisen (paper-fan), loaded up her swing and slammed the sign hard enough to make the signpost spin at a ridiculously fast rate. Much like what had happened with the sign in the previous zone, the group was whisked away by a flash of light.

* * *

 **[Collision Chaos: Act 2]  
[Time: Past]  
[BGM: "Collision Chaos ~P" Sonic CD JPN/EU]**

The first thing that Sonic and the others noticed once they got their bearings straight was the strange orange tint to the forest part of the zone and that most of the casino's features had yet to be built. As such the neon signs that were in the present were replaced by airborne structures of rock. The lake was also present in the background, though still inaccessible from their current path, but at least it made for a majestic backdrop.

"Whoa…" Nanoha said in awe.

"That's the second time this thing has happened," Sonic sent a weird glance at the smirking Alicia, "Okay~, what gives?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Alicia grinned in joy, "We travelled through time to the past!"

"You're joking, right?" Vita questioned in disbelief.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" deadpanned the shorter blonde in response, staring at Vita in emphasis, "That thing I just hit was a 'Time Warp Plate'. We use them to travel between time periods, namely past, future and present, here."

"Huh…" the blue hedgehog thought out loud, "I thought you use a blue police box for that."

"What kind of idiot thinks that is a viable time travel method?" scandalized Alicia in surprise.

' _Actually, it seems better than using signposts.'_ thought Nanoha to herself, "At any rate, we're here for a reason, right?"

Alicia confirmed the chestnut-haired-girl's question as she explained the situation to the best of her abilities. The future time period in each zone had been altered by their nemesis. Eggman had placed teleportation devices and demoralizing projectors in the Past of each zone. She had only been able to affirm this because she had cleared the past Palmtree Panic of its respective teleporter and projection devices.

"If we take out the teleporters and the projectors, we should be able to clear this zone of Moustached Baldy's influence like from the first zone." Alicia reasoned validly, evidence stating from her last zone, "That should free the future."

"Sounds like a solid plan, but I think there's one thing…" Sonic took a deep breath, "Multiverse theory's a -!"

"Sonic-san!" chided Signum sternly and swiftly before the statement was finished, "Watch your profanity."

"I was gonna say 'rotten egg'." The hedgehog deadpanned.

"This place doesn't run on that." Alicia was able to figure out what Sonic was saying anyways, "Every zone has three time periods that these plates travel to. Any actions taken here in the past, such as what the bald creep did, directly influence how the future looks."

The girl let those words hang with responsibility over the heads of her party as she started to press on once more. She knew almost everything there was to know about Little Planet and had seen firsthand what the doctor's madness had spawned in the first zone. Despite the disbelief, the others were quick to join her.

Much like Alicia had said beforehand, flying through the zone was out of the question. The low-hanging obstacles and narrow pathways, while easy for the ground-based hedgehog, proved to be difficult for the aerial mages. Eggman's robots were many and had been placed strategically well, but Vita was able to demonstrate how Graf Eisen was just as effective as the hedgehog's quills in destroying them.

The robot teleporter and projector devices were placed conveniently close together. While that allowed for the enemy robots to spawn close by, it also had the downside of allowing the party to destroy them in succession. Sonic was all too pleased to be rid of the latter; the robot was an eyesore to look at.

With both machines dealt with, the time came for Alicia's theory to be tested in full as the party closed in on the future time warp plate. If there were any concerns about repetition regarding tracking down the time plate in the present, Alicia dispelled them by hitting the plate with at least twice the amount of force as before, allowing them to skip the present and warp straight to the future.

* * *

 **[Collision Chaos: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[BGM: "Collision Chaos ~G" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

As a stark contrast to the present and past zones, the good future zone was a futuristic, inviting casino which had seen it's blue-colored motif shone under the pink-tinted sky. The plants were both mechanical and natural while the water was clear and clean, both adding to that peaceful, beautiful appeal.

The sight was enough to draw extended gazes from Nanoha, Fate and Sonic, but the former of the three felt that they were too young to be in the zone. A sentiment that was boosted by Alicia stating that the casino looked good but had no business for as long as she was there.

Still, the gorgeous casino zone had provided a backdrop to admire as the group pressed onward. With nary a robot in sight and the obstacles easy to work around, the trek was quite straightforward as Sonic took the lead for some strange reason.

It was only when the group had arrived at a clearing in the zone devoid of any obstacles that Sonic had halted the party. He seemed confident that his reason for taking point was about to come to fruition.

"Stop~!" chimed the hedgehog almost musically, much to the confusion and some annoyance to the others.

"Oi, what gives?" Vita grumbled impatiently.

"Well, our chibi-exposition-guide here said that this was our tutorial, right?" Sonic asked drawing an annoyed look from the local girl in question, "And what tutorial level would be complete, if it didn't have a tutorial boss?"

"A fair point," noted Signum, neutrally, "And this area does seem to be advantageous for an ambush."

"What makes you think that we'll be ambushed?" asked Alicia, "We haven't faced anything big so far."

As Fate looked between the party in some uncertainty as which side to take, she noticed the strange look in Nanoha's eyes. Curiously she prodded her friend in private, which led the auburn girl to cautiously note her agreement. The situation presented before them was reminiscent of ones that were in the video games that Nanoha played with Arisa and Suzuka. As such, she was leaning towards Sonic and Signum's side of the argument.

A loud, noblewoman-like laugh that was all too familiar to Sonic echoed throughout the zone and the hedgehog was proven right as Doctor Eggman appeared. The mad scientist had dropped in front of the party riding on a pink-painted walker-type mech with bumpers attached to the arm, spikes on the back and feet.

"So, you're the ones who were playing games with my army." The Doctor spoke neutrally though there was but a hint of frustration in his tone, "I should have figured that my enforcer snagged up the wrong hedgehog earlier."

"Wow, the giant Moustached Egg talks," Alicia stated in wonder, drawing a few snorts from the hedgehog.

"Moustached Egg?! How dare you?! I'll have you know that I am the brilliant scientist, Doctor Eggman!" roared the doctor in comical rage as he slammed his fist on the console, "And I will not tolerate such childish insults."

"You say that after throwing an equally childish tantrum triggered by a simple observation," countered Vita with disinterest, "For a self-proclaimed genius, that's a stupid thing to say."

"Ooh she burned you there," muttered Sonic humorously,

"Doctor Eggman-san, you said that your enforcer robot captured another hedgehog," said Nanoha, drawing attention to what the scientist had said prior, "Did you mean a pink one?"

"Yes, and she put up quite a fight, even damaging that robot," confirmed the doctor, "I had thought that she was the source of the resistance, but your presence here refutes that. She was nothing but a nuisance, but she'll be great material for my next robot."

"That nuisance is an acquaintance of mine, her name is Amy Rose," Alicia did not take kindly to Eggman's attitude regarding the pink hedgehog, "Where is she?"

"Do you really think I am so foolish as to reveal that?" questioned Eggman, offended.

"Foolish enough to let a hedgehog ruin your plans the first time," countered Sonic cheekily, "And I'm not afraid to crack your egghead wide open again."

Eggman said no more once he finally realized that Sonic, the blue nuisance who had foiled his plans on South Island, was present and unafraid to face him once again. It was at that point that all conversation, witty banter and questioning had ended. The time for action had come and the mad genius, with a few button presses on his walker's console, sprang into action.

* * *

 **[Boss: EGG-HVC-001]  
[BGM: "Boss" Sonic CD (JPN/EU)]**

The first action was taken by the doctor as with a few button presses, his walker accelerated at a high speed and attempted to ram the party, impaling anything or anyone in the way. Much to Eggman's frustration and dismay, the mages were able to spread out and evade his attack well before it could connect.

 _"Attack him in waves. Try to figure out his weak points."_ Nanoha, quick to take the role of the strategist, started to form a plan in her mind, but she needed to gather more information first. _"Vita-chan, Sonic-kun, you two strike first!"_

 _"Got it!"_ Vita acknowledged easily, she was going to attack first anyways. The knight sent a challenging grin at her teammate, "Try to keep up, blue boy!"

"Hehe~!" The hedgehog equally grinned, "You too, red girly."

The two immediately went on the offensive by attacking from both sides. Sonic curled up to utilized his spin-attack, sharpening his spikes to an appropriate level of cleaving metal while Vita shifted Graf Eisen into its missile form for extra penetration power. Sadly, their attacks met the bumper arms and the two were bounced up into the air harmlessly.

"Ha! Did you think that would work?" Eggman let out a cocky guffaw, "These springs can deflect any attack that hits them!"

"Oh wow, egg-ceptional egg-secution," Sonic deadpanned, his puns drawing a few snorts and giggles from Nanoha, Alicia and privately Vita, "You hatched yourself a good one."

"Shut up." grumbled the mad scientist.

 _"Fate-chan, Alicia-chan!"_ Nanoha called out to the next wave, _"Attack the main body, try to avoid the bumpers."_

 _"Understood."_ Fate confirmed with nary a second thought. She sent a knowing look at her original, "Let's go, Alicia-nee-san."

"Heh, you must really like that girl." The smaller blonde grinned teasingly, savoring the blush she drew as a reaction.

Both Testarossa siblings approached the walker with a different tactic in mind. The smaller girl used her devices as a gun to fire off a wave of Photon Lancers to cover her sister's approach. Fate, opting to save Zanber form for later, used Bardiche's crescent form for a direct attack on the main body. Much to their combined surprise, the limbs attached bumpers on the HVC-001 were able to move in most directions and render the energy scythe and lancer volley completely useless.

"O~ Ho!" Eggman grew cockier as the attacks failed, "You can't hit me! You can't hit me!"

"Don't let yourself get complacent, Doctor." Signum's lengthy silence was broken as the swordswoman took a few steps towards the walker, "Many a foe have fallen due to carelessness."

 _"Um, Signum-san, those limbs look like a weak point,"_ Nanoha sent to the woman via telepathy, _"If I can draw his defenses, do you think you can take them out in one go?"_

 _"One cartridge should be enough."_ the pink-haired woman sent back, _"I'm counting on your support, Takamachi."_

The woman watched as the girl in white took to the skies above the EGG-HVC-001 and fire off wave after wave of Axel Shooter rounds. An unspoken command had Laevatein load a cartridge as the wielder gripped the handle. Signum waited until Nanoha had finished the second wave before drawing her blade and making her move.

"Shiden Issen (Purple Lightning Flash)!" Signum called out as Laevatein was covered in flame. Faster than anyone could have predicted, the woman rushed to strike the limbs of the walker.

Like a knife through butter, Signum's blade sheared straight through a limb that had a bumper attached, severing it cleanly. While the flames covering the sword were still hot, the swordswoman cleaved through the second bumper's limb and separated it from the main body. With both of the defensive bumpers separated, the HVC was left vulnerable.

"Oh…" It was at that moment that Eggman realized just how screwed he was in the current predicament, "Crapbaskets."

"Begone!" The woman, for good measure, sliced through the part of the walker that was attached to Eggman's Egg-mobile. The explosive burst from Signum's final strike had triggered a small explosion that threw the mad scientist high into the air until he became nothing but a little twinkle in the mid-morning sky.

* * *

 **-Victory!-  
[Jingle: "Level Clear" Sonic CD (JPN/EU)]**

Nanoha and Fate, without even realizing that they were doing so, had twirled their devices in something of a coordinated manner before resting them at their sides. Signum and Vita, neither one to partake in any true celebrations of battle, merely sheathed rested their respective weapons on their shoulders. Sonic, on the other hand, was fully into post-battle celebration antics and went into one of his cool little poses with his trademark fanged grin and pointed finger.

"Hee, hee~!" Alicia giggled at Nanoha and Fate, "You two look so coordinated, so cute!"

"W-wha?" Fate sputtered, cheeks red.

"Ah… um..." Nanoha fidgeted nervously, a similar redness to her cheeks

The blushing reactions from both girls were just the ones the smaller blonde had been looking for. It was at that moment that Alicia knew that their meeting was a blessing. She found someone to protect in Fate, and she would not let her go. If Fate was to leave Little Planet after its liberation, Alicia swore to go with her, regardless of what it took.

"If we have nothing else to keep us here, I suggest we press on," Signum spoke up neutrally, her attention focused on the smaller Testarossa female, "Your mother is in the next zone, correct?"

"At the end," Alicia confirmed, "Between zones three and four."

"If we keep at the pace we're going at, a little detour won't harm anything." The swordswoman seemed to have sensed the desires from both blondes regarding the idea of reuniting with their mother and was set to adhere to them. Truthfully, she also had a few things to say to the matriarch as well.

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #11: Arf]  
Name: Alph ("Arf")  
Katakana: ****アルフ** **(A-ru-fu)  
Gender: female  
Master: Fate Testarossa  
Age: 16*  
Height: 152 cm (human), 104 cm (Wolf)  
Weight: 51 kg (human), 38 kg (Wolf)  
Color: Orange  
System: Mid-Childa  
Rank: A (Mana Capacity)  
Device: None**

 **[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #12: Lindy]  
Name: Lindy Harlaown  
Katakana: ****リンディ** **・** **ハラオウン** **(Rindi Haraoun)  
Gender: Female  
Age: 31  
Height: 165 cm  
Weight: 55 kg  
Rank(Military): Admiral  
Color: Mint green  
System: Mid-Childa  
Rank: AA+ (Synthetic)  
Device: Durandal**

* * *

 **[Uminari City: Residential]  
[Yagami Residence]  
[No BGM]**

There were many words that could describe the wolfgirl that was Fate's familiar, Arf. She could be temperamental, blunt, brash, but at the same time, she was also loyal, undyingly so. Granted, it was hard not to feel such to the girl who had saved your life when you were but a young wolf cub abandoned by your pack after contracting a disease. For Arf, it was beyond that, her loyalty was not forced, as Fate's terms for creating her as a familiar were to live in freedom, but she willingly swore to serve as Fate's protector for the rest of her life.

Since her near-death, Arf had served as Fate's unbreakable shield. Even when Fate was broken by Precia's words, the wolfgirl still went to fight the mad woman at the Garden of Time. She was set, stubbornly so, to protect her master's wellbeing and happiness. Given her feelings and status, it was understandable that the familiar was not too pleased to be left behind while her master set out for Little Planet over an hour ago, but she knew that to protect Fate's happiness, that also extended to guarding her friends like Hayate.

That resolve of hers was briefly strained and put to the test within that past hour, when she felt Fate's despair through her familiar empathetic link. She had reached out to her master in order to find out what had happened, but was told that everything was going to be fine and that she should remain behind.

Since that episode, Arf had seated herself on the couch with her eyes firmly set on the door that her master had let through, patiently waiting for her return. Not that she was trying to hide it, but her near emotional outburst had been noticed by the others in the household. From the corner of her eye, she could see Reinforce approach her with a glass of tea.

"You're, worried about your master." Reinforce had an understanding look to her face as she handed the wolfgirl the cup.

"Yeah," Arf said as she took it, "I felt her emotions flare up. It took all of the self-control I had not to bolt out of here."

"What stopped you?" queried the unison device with a small bit of curiosity in her tone, though she had a guess as to the answer.

"She told me not to." the familiar answered, calmly taking a sip of the tasty herbal concoction, "She wanted to deal with this herself."

"You were okay with that?" Though Reinforce felt that she had no need to ask, she did so anyways.

"What do you think?" Arf had no intention of snapping at the device, but her frustration over the issue at hand had that effect. She had swiftly realized her mistake and looked down in shame, "Sorry…"

"It's alright," Reinforce calmly sat down next to the temperamental wolfgirl, "I understand your frustrations. your master had made a request that you weren't comfortable with following, "My knights went through a similar situation with my master."

"How do you handle that?" Arf asked, "Your knights went against Hayate's wishes, but they did it out of necessity."

"Sometimes, that's what you have to do." The woman spoke kindly, sparing a glance back to Hayate in the kitchen, "In order to protect the ones we love as guardians, sometimes we have to go against their wishes. They may hate us, dislike us, but that is what we have to do."

"I guess…" shrugged the wolfgirl, unable to offer any retort. Truthfully, she was torn, she had owed so much to Fate and promised to protect her, yet she was absent for her master's most recent episode, "I hope she's okay…"'

* * *

 **[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]  
[Little Planet]  
[Tidal Tempest: Act 1]  
[Time: Present]  
[BGM: "Tidal Tempest" Sonic CD (JPN/EU)]**

Humorously, it was not Fate who needed to be consoled or helped, but Sonic. The strike team had found a zone that had given the poor hedgehog far too many flashbacks to South Island's Labyrinth zone. The region rested at the base of several rocky structures and volcanoes. Pipes carried water between regions while stone pillars adorned certain parts. Oddly enough, the water had a greenish-clear tint to it as the elevation was at a normal level.

The resemblance had struck so close to the hedgehog that he had positioned himself as far away from the water as possible and in the fetal position. If anyone was close enough, they might have been able to hear the blue boy let out a few sniffles.

"Um… Sonic-kun?" Nanoha called out to him but was given no response, much to her subtle shock

"Is he always like this?" Alicia asked the others in concern. Privately, she felt the scene to be quite cute and endearing.

"Eh..." Shrugged the iron knight, unconcerned for likely a good reason "Give him a minute, he'll get over this."

Signum spared a glance at the hedgehog and let out a sigh. While Sonic's reactions were somewhat understandable, if a bit predictable, given what he had spoken of in South Island, it was not the most jarring issue at hand. Her real concern was on the water itself and the impact on their current situation.

"Sonic-san's episode aside, we have a more pressing concern with the water." The swordswoman spoke, "Our path lies submerged in it."

"Yeah, these sunken ruins are unavoidable," Alicia noted, "And if you're not careful, the current can mess you up."

"Just like Labyrinth all over again." sighed the hedgehog, despondently, as he approached the rest of the group, "I hope you're all good at holding your breath."

"Breathing was what you're worried about?" The shorter blonde sent a weird look of disbelief, "You have a mana output ranking at least in the A level and you haven't thought of using any spells for that?"

"Alicia-chan, please understand, Sonic-kun only just found out about our magic recently, so he hasn't learned any spells yet." Nanoha quickly jumped to the hedgehog's defense, "Also this is our first mission in this sort of area. We're kinda in the same boat."

"Also, this isn't an administrated world," added Fate, quietly, "So most civilians here won't know of magic."

"Oh right, sorry." the small girl said with a sheepish rub of her head, quickly realizing where she had faulted, "I can cast a water breathing spell on him that converts water into breathable oxygen, then have Lucky Star send your devices the programming for incorporating this into your Barrier Jackets like I did."

"Acceptable," Signum confirmed.

The data transfer took little time and neither of the mages or knights, with their different systems of magic, had any issue implementing the new spell data from Alicia into their respective Barrier Jackets and Knight Clothing. Once that was complete, the small blonde turned her gaze towards the blue hedgehog.

"Alright, the spell I'm about to cast will let you breathe underwater, but be careful," The girl forewarned Sonic, "It can deflect minor bullets, but any dangerous attacks may break the spell."

"Can I still use my abilities?" queried the hedgehog.

"Yes," Alicia said as she pointed the gun in her left hand right at him, "It's programmed to ignore actions by the user within."

" _ **Aqua Barrier!"**_ Lucky Star declared as its master fired off the spell.

Sonic could both feel and see the results of the spell affect him within mere seconds as a bubble-like barrier encased his form. The spell was clear, but touching it felt wet, bouncy, bubbly like, well a bubble. And despite how it looked, the hedgehog was still able to breathe normally.

"Cool~." Sonic grinned, gleefully poking the bubble like a kid his age might do.

"If everyone else is ready," Alicia spoke once more to gather attention, "Follow me, the first Time Warp Plate is just up ahead."

Following Alicia's lead, the team took the deep plunge into the water. Their new spell additions had immediately taken effect as a small bubble-like barrier enveloped their heads, allowing for underwater breathing. Sadly, the spell additions were unable to keep their clothing from getting soaked, but not even magic could help with that.

Alicia had soon been proven right as her team found the first Time Warp Plate; and, as fortune would have it, it was the one that led to the past. The tricky part was the activation as the water had cut down the attack power of Alicia's harisen. Luckily, Vita was more than able to compensate with Graf Eisen and soon the team was sent into a time warp.

* * *

 **[Tidal Tempest: Act 2]  
[Time: Past]  
[BGM: "Tidal Tempest ~P" Sonic CD (JPN/EU)]**

The time jump had led the group to an underground cavern that had been untouched by mankind and machinery. Much like the present, pipes still carried water from one zone to the other. The water level was fairly low in comparison to the present, resulting in a darkened tint for the water within the caverns.

"Hey, the water level's lower!" Sonic noted happily.

"That doesn't make it any easier," Alicia noted, "A majority of this zone is still underwater."

"Enemies also lay in our path." Added Signum.

The enemies in the underwater ruin zone came in a variety of four types: Taga-Taga, Tonbo, Yago and Amenbo. The Tonbo were large mosquito-shaped robots that were designed to dive-bomb any intruders from above. Amenbo, designed to resemble water spiders, were programed to swim back and forth on the surface and fire missiles at any target. The Taga-Taga were the lobster-shaped mechs that were made to swim low in the water and impale foes with the spikes on their back. Lastly, the Yago were larva-shaped robots that swam back in forth in a circular pattern, only breaking their pattern to ram any threat head on with its metallic head.

In addition to the robots, the strike team also ran into the natural obstacles from the zone, namely the pillars and the shifting current. Even though the water spells supplied by Alicia kept them from drowning, the water still hampered some of their abilities such as Sonic's speed and a majority of the magic cast by Fate, Alicia and Signum due to their mana conversion affinities for lightning and flame respectively.

Despite that, the team was still effective in dealing with the robots as Nanoha and Vita more than made up for the magical and physical power while Signum, Fate and Alicia still had their respective weapons. Their underwater agility was also boosted by Nanoha's "Axel Fin", Fate and Alicia's "Sonic Sail" and Vita and Signum's "Pferde" spells, which normally allowed the mages and knights to fly about the air with superior agility. This made dealing with the platforms and pillars much easier made the underwater sections flow by smoother.

Also, much to Alicia's regret in hindsight, Sonic had discovered a rather amusing gimmick in the aqua barrier. Combining it with his ball form, the hedgehog was able to literally bounce off the floor like a basketball, and he absolutely abused the newfound ability to no end, taking out robots just as the others, namely Vita, were about to finish them off.

"Oi! Blue boy!" the hot-blooded berserker knight shouted at Sonic, "Stop stealing my kills!"

"Sorry~!" Sonic declined musically as he bounced about energetically in the water, protected by his aqua barrier, "Be faster next ti-"

"Enough." Signum, unamused, swiftly intercepted the bouncing boy and leveled a glare at him, "You've made your point."

"Y-yes ma'am!" The hedgehog conceded in fear that was just as much justified as it was comical; few had been able to fully stand bravely when faced with the stern look from the stoic sword knight.

It took little time for the group to find the teleporter and fortunately it was in one of the few areas that was dry land. Likely it was placed there as a precaution as Eggman was unsure if he could trust to leave his machine underwater. After the teleporter came the projection machine. Much to Sonic's annoyance, the projected robot still had that annoying resemblance to him and he was glad that Vita took out her frustrations on the device and not him.

With their work completed, the team still had to navigate through the tricky and dangerous labyrinth of a zone in order to find a time warp plate to the future. Nanoha had almost suffered the embarrassment of getting caught in current that was drawn into a pipe, but Fate was there to keep her stabilized. Soon they had reached the signpost, which was fortunately above water again. With her strength unhampered by the water, Alicia took a mighty hack at the sign to send them past the present and on into the future.

* * *

 **[Tidal Tempest: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[BGM: "Tidal Tempest ~G" Sonic CD JP/EU]**

Free of Eggman's influence, the future of Tidal Tempest was exactly what it should have been, at least according to Alicia. It was a turquoise aquarium that was completely operational and held much plant life within hydroponic cases. Fish swam freely through the pleasantly light-turquoise tinted water, which was also clean of any robotic impurities. If there was any complaint, it was that the water level was far higher than both of the previous timelines.

Much like the previous timeline, the team still had to contend with navigating the arduous and tricky terrain, but thankfully Alicia was there to guide them. There was, however, still a matter of the uneasiness in the atmosphere that grew. Perhaps it was the knowledge of the Testarossa matriarch looming far ahead, or maybe it was something more. But for Alicia, there was something on her mind, an unanswered question, that she felt the need to suddenly clear up.

"Speaking of time, I have a couple of questions that I have been trying to get answered all day," Alicia, suddenly spoke up, "I tried asking this from Amy Rose earlier, but she got confused,"

"Go ahead," Signum held no objections, given the girl's helpfulness so far.

"Firstly, What world is this one attached to?" queried the little girl, "And what is the current year and month according to the New Calendar?"

"We are on Non-Administrated World #97." replied Fate accurately,

"Also called Earth~!" chimed Sonic oh so musically,

"And we just celebrated the New Year, so we're in the first month, January. I can tell you what year it is here on Earth," added Nanoha in an attempt of being helpful, though she had a feeling that she was coming up short, "But I think we follow a different year calculation so I don't think that's what you're looking for…"

"We are in year 0066 according to the New Calendar," Fate provided, always happy to help

"Wow… so we've been here for less than a year," Alicia did a bit of math in her head, "The Jewel Seed stuff ended before the end of last spring."

"How do you know about all of this?" asked Fate

"That's…" Alicia sighed as her gaze shifted towards Signum, identifying her as the de facto leader, "A long story…"

"Tell us what you can." the swordswoman was less inclined to give the girl an easy exit from the topic.

Without any other hesitation, Alicia spoke her story to the best of her abilities and memory. The story was far simpler than anyone could have guessed. After Precia and Alicia fell from the Garden of Time, they had somehow found themselves on Little Planet, alive and rejuvenated. At first, the two had thought that they died and found heaven, but the passage of time had refuted the idea outright.

 **[BGM: "Rydia's Theme" Final Fantasy IV OST]**

For but a few moments, Alicia and Precia were able to live somewhat in peace, until the older woman suffered a night terror triggered by a nightmare of her past self. That opened the floodgates and soon Precia suffered bout after bout of guilt and depression, all the while Alicia was kept in the dark as to why. The suffering mother did not want her daughter to know why in fear of her reaction.

Her daughter, understandably so, felt confused and helpless as she had to watch her mother suffer from whatever had pained her. Alicia felt scared herself, she begged for her mother to tell her, but every time she was turned away. Whatever it was, her mother was dead set on keeping it to herself.

The pain of guilt soon became too much for Precia to bear and one fateful day the woman was ready to end it all. It was a day that Alicia remembered all too well because of the ramifications it had on their relationship.

"I remember seeing kaa-san trying to throw herself off the cliff in the Palmtree Panic zone." Tears started to fall from the smaller girl, "Maybe it was my selfishness, or maybe it was my fear of being alone, but when I saw her fall, something inside of me snapped."

It was when Precia had thrown herself that saw Alicia's latent magical power awakened. Before the old woman was even halfway to the ground and her demise, a turquoise streak caught and carried her back to their home. Alicia had neither known nor cared how fast she or how far she flew, she was just glad that her mother was safe.

"When we got back, I had kaa-san take me to her study and refused to leave until she told me everything." Alicia shook her head, the tears falling, "And so she did… she spoke of the accident, my death, Project Fate, my clone, the Jewel Seeds, Al-Hazard."

"Alicia…" Fate reached out only for her original to pull her into a tearful embrace so tight it stopped short of suffocating her.

"Kaa-san did more than just tell…" the smaller girl sobbed into her original, "Her device recorded everything and I watched. I watched you suffer kaa-san's insanity. All of the horrible things she did to you, I watched it all!"

"Y-you…" the taller of the two couldn't stop the tears, "You didn't have to-!"

"YES! I! DID! I needed to watch! I wanted to know what pained kaa-san. It was so horrible, I couldn't wait for it to end." Alicia paused for a moment to regather her feelings and composure, "After it was over I stormed out of the house. I needed to cool my head and take some time away from her…"

"And then?" Signum cut in neutrally, taking note of the various reactions from the rest of her party. She could see Nanoha torn between simply listening and trying to comfort, while Vita and Sonic looked away, the latter of the two was far too young to listen to the tragic tale.

"I returned home later that evening and I told kaa-san just how I felt." Alicia steadied herself, "I told her that I wanted to hate her for what she did, I wanted to call her stupid, insane, any word my five-year-old brain could think of, but I couldn't. I couldn't bear myself to hate her. And the reason, our promise."

"Promise?" Fate asked in confusion.

"Remember the picnic?" The girl spoke like she did, "I still remember the crown of flowers and kaa-san's smiling face when she asked me what I wanted for my birthday…."

Fate recalled the memory in question. It was somewhat of a blur given the difficulty that holding memories that she had not personally experienced, but Alicia aided her. She remembered their mother as who she used to be, a kind if a bit awkward woman who never had enough time away from work. The picnic was one of the few times that she could spend with her daughter. The young girl's birthday was around the corner and, like any mother would do, she asked what the girl wanted. Alicia's answer had stopped Fate in her tracks.

"A sister!" Fate nearly shouted as the words hit home, "You wanted a little sister!"

"One to play with, care for, or even help kaa-san around the house." Alicia nodded, tightening her embrace with the clone like one would their favorite blanket when scared, "When I saw you, my heart skipped a beat. You looked like me, differences aside. I saw the pain you endured from kaa-san's whip and words. That's when…

"That's when I knew, beyond any doubt, that you were the one." Alicia's and Fate's identical eyes locked and feelings were sent, "You were the little sister that I wanted. The little girl I wanted to play with, raise, help kaa-san, but most importantly, the one I wanted to protect."

"The one you wanted to protect…" Fate trailed off, her mind thinking of the chestnut-haired girl in white, Nanoha, "I can understand…"

"I know that I kinda forced this on you last zone, but I want you to know," Alicia looked up at her clone, no, sister, once more, "I don't see you as some failed clone like kaa-san used to. I see you as my little sister, and, if you'll accept me, I want to be the big sister for you."

Acceptance, that was not a word that Fate was expecting to hear from the small girl. She had played out possible encounters with the girl before in her dreams, but what Alicia just said had rendered her shell-shocked. Still, Fate had but one answer and it was a simple one.

"Yes."

It was at that moment that a new bond was forged. A truly touching scene unfolded as sisters embraced and let their tears of joy and happiness fall. The gathered crowd watched with but only a small variance in expression. Nanoha had to bring all levels of her own self-control to keep her from full-out breaking down into tears herself, merely settling for wiping her eyes. Vita and Sonic shed a few tears as they felt a slight warmness in their hearts, though the former would never admit it outright. Signum dipped her head in a sign of respect, it was a rare honor to see a true bond, familial or not, be formed before her eyes.

* * *

 **[No BGM]**

The scene was truly a heart warmer, no one would have been so foolish as to interrupt it. At least, that would have been the case, but an egg-shaped fool, who had just saw the group below, flew down anyways. The scientist's hovercraft revealed a machine gun in the carriage and let loose a volley of bullets.

Signum's eyes narrowed as she immediately positioned herself in the path of fire. The woman's form was poised and practiced as she held the sheathed Laevatein before her. To the surprise of the hardboiled scientist, the salvo was deflected by only scabbard that was drawn.

"Doctor Eggman," Signum's voice was controlled, but held a great deal of killer intent within, "To disrupt the touching moment of a familial bond, have you only depravity in your soul?"

"When one is a scientific genius, why should they revel in such pleasantries?" countered the doctor as he floated down before the group, "At any rate, I came here for one reason. Legends surrounding Little Planet spoke of powerful jewels known as the 'Time Stones'."

"What do you want with them?" Alicia tensed visibly, which went noticed by all but the scientist.

"Isn't it obvious?" Eggman questioned arrogantly, "I want to harness their powers and convert this place into my own personal robot factory, but I can't do that without the Time Stones. Now, where are they?"

"I don't know." the small girl turned away from the doctor, "Now get lost, you interrupted my sisterly bonding scene."

"What?" the mad scientist slammed his console in rage, "How dare you just dismiss me?! I'll have you know that I-!"

"You know, you should really read the mood a bit better," Sonic cut in suddenly as he stepped forward, his hand holding one of the prototype rings that was given to him by Reinforce to test out, "You're not wanted here, I'll give you about ten seconds to egg-scuse yourself from this area before I do it for you."

"Really?" deadpanned the doctor, "Another egg pun? Serious-?"

"And time's up." the hedgehog gripped the ring within his gloved hand.

Sonic almost winced as he felt the sudden rush of power enter him from the ring. The power felt almost like the same level, but it also felt wild, potent. A light-blue aura enveloped the hedgehog much like before, only this time there were little swirls of wind that briefly emanated off his body. Something that went easily noticeable by the magically sensitive females.

' _That's the wind…'_ Signum thought to herself, _'Could it be?'_

Without a second of hesitation, the hedgehog launched off in his spin form and slammed into the egg-mobile. The impact generated a wince-inducing sound of sharpened quills scraping hard against the metallic surface. Adding onto the firm statement of Sonic's undeniable speed was the familiar sound of the sonic boom as the hedgehog had shattered the sound barrier on a turn, which made a shockwave so powerful that it sent the Eggmobile, along with the scientist piloting it, well off into the distance, becoming but a twinkle in the afternoon sky once more.

"Well, now…" Sonic said as he landed, "That felt a bit different."

"That was a ring generated from the Tome of the Night Sky," Signum noted, "I imagine it would be unusual compared to other sources."

"Well, it worked this time, so I'm not going to question it," shrugged the hedgehog, indifferent, "Now then, don't we have a house call."

* * *

 **[Tidal Tempest: Act 0]  
[Testarossa Residence]  
[Time: Future]  
[No BGM]**

The Testarossa manor could have been accessed in any time zone, as noted by Alicia, due to their ingenuity of building the manor in the past. For reasons unknown to the smaller girl, Precia had spent a majority of the time in the future. It was for that very reason, that Alicia led her new friends plus sister to her home in the same timeline.

The house itself seemed rather modest and somewhat small, but appropriately sized for a family of two. Rays from the midday sun shone lovingly over the house, creating a warm, welcoming, homely feeling, but for some, it was the presence inside that contrasted that.

Fate felt her body go rigid for a brief moment as she realized that within those doors was her mother. The very same woman from her memories, both past and, painfully for her, present. Despite the phantom pain, Fate was determined. She wanted- no, she needed- to know if her mother had changed. Deep down, through the fogs of her traumatized mind, lay the girl who wanted to see her mother smile. Never had she seen her mother truly smile in her own lifetime, she had discounted the times from Alicia's memories as they were not her own.

A warm sensation from both of her hands had rendered the blonde at ease. From the corners of her peripherals, she could see Nanoha and Alicia respectively on her left and right side. She allowed herself to fall at ease with a smile and her courage built up again.

"Alright, Signum-san, Sonic-kun, Vita-chan," Nanoha spoke up to address the three directly, "Fate-chan and Alicia-chan's mother is waiting for us. She is a VERY powerful mage, so please be on your best behavior. Precia-san is said to be a SS rank mage by the Bureau standards, and that is… um… really powerful!"

"Given the stories spoken, a direct confrontation is hardly what I have in mind," Signum replied back before Sonic or Vita could say anything. The knight of the sword sent a very stern look at the red and blue ones before her, "You two will behave, is that understood?"

"O.K~!" Sonic nodded rapidly.

"Right." Vita added.

Fate and Alicia exchanged glances once more. There were no words spoken, but the feelings they transferred between one another through their eyes provided more than enough for a conversation. Fate had told herself that she would not hesitate, and Alicia was prepared to hold her to that. With nothing to hold them back, Alicia opened the door and entered.

The inside looked as modest as the outside, it reminded Fate of the house they had before the relocation to the Garden of Time while Alicia often reminisced of the home she had before the accident. For but a moment, the hall they had entered from the entrance was dark, but that changed when the lights turned on.

Waiting for them at the end of the hallways was a woman with graying-purple hair and dark-indigo eyes. She was fairly attractive, looking much younger than what her age was. Her attire was casual, consisting of a light-purple, long-sleeved v-neck shirt with a black low-cut t-shirt underneath, a long, dark-purple skirt was secured to her waist and common black shoes on her feet. The woman's face was somewhat youthful, but bore a tired expression, either from her age or something else entirely.

"Welcome home, Fate…" The woman said with a tired voice that was all too familiar for the blonde's ears, "My beautiful, second daughter."

* * *

 **[To be Continued]  
[Ending: "Mi-Ra-I" Run & Gun, Sonic X OST]**

 **[End of Chapter 6]**

Author's notes: First, the asterisk for Arf's age is an indication of it being official, so according to the TSAB. Though, in reality, Arf is almost the youngest in the series, being made after Fate was.

Now for other notes… Yes, the cliffhanger for Precia's appearance, the dialogue should be vague enough for some folks. I will also note the location shifts. While I focused a majority of the time on Little Planet, there were still other side-stories to look at such as Lindy in the Bureau and Arf getting frustrated over her master's stubbornness (How unlike HER). I also needed a bit of world building to show how the Bureau works and what not. Now there are a few questions still left unanswered… what does Precia's appearance mean on Little Planet, how does she regard Fate as of now given what has been stated here. Also, the Time Stones… I love to hear some theories on how Alicia and Precia ended up on Little Planet in the first place along with what their presence in the arc means as an impact.


	7. Chapter 7

SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in part 3 to the Little Planet arc. the cliffhangers are plenty, but things will happen. Precia Testarossa returns, but is she different? Find out now... Also, disclaimer, I don't own Sonic/Nanoha or any characters from those series, they belong to Sonic Team / Seven Arcs respectively

"Say"  
 _'Thought'  
"Telepathy"  
_ _ **"Device"**_

* * *

 **[Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth"]  
[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]  
[Little Planet: Tidal Tempest: Act 0]  
[Testarossa Residence]  
[Time: Future]  
[No BGM]**

For two individuals, time had seemed to slow down. Burgundy-red eyes stared almost fearfully into the purplish orbs on the other end. Fate stood, fidgeting, in the face of her creator, Precia Testarossa. She had to exercise every portion of her mental willpower to keep her dark memories from surfacing, but she was unable to stop her body from shuddering, wincing, shaking in her nervousness. Little did she know, however, that the woman had been doing the same thing.

Even though Precia had said the first words in welcoming Fate to her home, the woman had fallen silent since. She had simply stood there, awkwardly staring at her creation. There was no malice, only worry and nervousness. Despite knowing that Fate was coming, and going so far as to at least put up a welcoming front, Precia found herself unable to say anything further.

The tension between the two was thick and obvious, but there was no malice, no antagonism. If anything, both sides had a mutual fear for the other. To the others present, aside from Alicia, who was just focused on the interaction between her mother and sister, the scene felt awkward to watch, but it would have been inappropriate to simply cut in. Someone had to say the first word at some point, but who.

"Fate-!" Precia started to speak, beginning to extend a hand outward towards Fate.

"Kaa-san!" Fate began at the exact same time. Both of them stopped speaking and resumed their awkward silence, each waiting for the other to speak again.

"This…" Spoke Fate once more, timidly albeit with some disbelief to her tone, "This is real, isn't it?"

"It is…" The woman said with a tired sigh, "I imagine that as hard as this is for me, it's even tougher on you."

"I'm not alone," Fate said as she gestured to the others who were with her, "Alicia and my friends have been supporting me."

"So, I see…" Precia scanned the gathering before her, taking note of the familiar face of the girl in white among the rest of the unfamiliar crowd before resting her eyes firmly on Fate once more, "I have so much that I need to say. My actions, my abuse towards you was indefensible. I have caused you so much pain, such terror, there are no number of apologies that will ever suffice."

"Well…" Fate fidgeted in place, "I've had some time to recover, and other things have happened since then."

"I see…" The woman let her eyes roam amongst the gathered party once more, "I imagine you all have questions for me regarding how we ended up here, what has happened to this world and how you are saving it."

"We heard enough from your first daughter," Signum confirmed, speaking up for the first time, "But if you wish to say more, we will hear you out. However, I must caution you that we have an enemy to contend with and time is not on our side."

"You don't have to worry about that man for the moment, he holds no sway over this part of the world," Precia turned back and started down the hall, motioning for the others to follow, "Come, I will explain all."

Aside from Alicia and, albeit reluctantly, Fate, the others followed the woman with uneasiness that was understandable given the circumstances. As he followed, Sonic had to pause for a moment as a weird glow from one of the rooms he passed along the way caught his eye.

' _What the!'_ Sonic almost turned to check out what had caught his eye but was stopped by Vita.

"Sightsee later, blue boy," the knight of the hammer impatiently dragged the hedgehog on ahead, "We have more important crap going on."

"Yeesh okay…" grumbled Sonic as he followed her, _'That was weird...'_

* * *

 **[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Mizuki Nana]**

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 7  
Little Planet Phase 3: A simple choice for a drastic outcome (Part 1)**

* * *

 **[Tidal Tempest: Act 0]  
[Testarossa Residence]  
[Time: Future]  
[No BGM]**

Precia's lab was moderately spaced and had the usual refinements of any researcher's workshop. Computer terminals, tables, bookshelves, the old woman used the space for her work. The main computer terminal desk was in the middle of the lab. On the left were the bookshelves and tables for research and physical work, while on the right was a sight that no one had expected. A large capsule full of a greenish bubbly liquid, most likely a life-pod of sort, but it was empty.

"E-Eh?!" Nanoha blinked rapidly, her eyes glued on the pod, "I-Isn't that…"

"Yeah, that didn't feel good to wake up in," Alicia shivered in that memory.

Precia seated herself at the computer terminal, typed a few keys on the keyboard and turned to face the party once more. The screen behind the old woman displayed several feeds from all seven zones on Little Planet in their present timeframe. While the three zones that the strike team had finished appeared to be peaceful, the same could not be said for the remaining ones.

"As you can see, Little Planet is responding to your efforts of liberation, though you still have much work to be done." Precia spoke up, her aging, slightly deep voice able to carry through the room, "But we will get into that momentarily. How much has Alicia been able to say about how we arrived here?"

"She said that the two of you woke up on this realm," Signum answered, "But seemed unsure as to how."

"I presume you've heard about the Jewel Seed incident?" queried Precia, receiving a confirmatory nod from the others present as a sign to continue, "Well then, it appears that after Alicia and I fell from the Garden of Time, we were caught up in a small dimensional dislocation that sent us through time and space."

"..." Sonic blinked rapidly as he recalled something that he once read regarding the legends of the Chaos Emeralds and South Island, _'That sounds an awful lot like that "Chaos Control" I hear about in urban legends.'_

Seeing as no one had any questions, Precia continued on with her story. After landing on the new world, she found herself wakened by Alicia, who was trying to get out of her life-pod. Initially, it was believed that they had simply died and ascended to heaven, though the life-pod's presence refuted the idea. For but a few moments, it seemed as though the mother and daughter were set for a joyful life together after the reunion.

The happy times never lasted long, as Precia had started to suffer from night terrors which triggered the recollection of her recent memories and the depravity her past self had displayed, especially with Fate. Her story continued and confirmed all that Alicia had said before; not that the latter was exaggerating in any shape, but Precia had confirmed how severe her guilt was.

The night following Precia's attempted suicide, foiled by Alicia's magic awakening in full strength was a tense one. After the girl had let out her emotions in a crying fit that fully drew out her latent power its capacity, she felt a drive of determination, a cause.

"She wanted to set things right with her sister." Precia's eyes locked on Fate as an indication of who she was referring to, "But she needed the strength, the skills…"

Reluctantly, Precia had agreed to teach Alicia in magic and combat, though under the stipulation that the girl improved her mage tests, which she had struggled in before. There was a significant difference between how Fate and Alicia were tutored in their magic. For Fate, Precia had spent little time with anything above the bare minimum of instruction. The rest to was left to Rynith, a familiar created to be an instructor, and to assemble Bardiche. As for Alicia, all of the instruction and curriculum were handled by Precia herself, mainly due to having no resources to create a familiar from. Surprisingly or not, given how driven Alicia was by her desires, she had not only improved on her grades, she aced them outright.

After the academics came the construction of the device. With materials gathered from the quartz mine zone on the planet and the technologically advanced machinery in the Workbench zone, constructing a new device was much easier. It was modeled in a combination of Alicia's energetic personality and her versatile skill set, hence the vast weaponry and the dual-wielding modes.

The application of the magic was, a little difficult, understandably so, though quite a bit embarrassing for the little girl too. Precia had lost count of the number of times she had seen little Alicia fly into a cliff or a wall as she was getting used to flying.

"I sent her out for a few errands through the planet as a final test," Precia seemed a bit tired as she finished the story, "She completed them and I deemed her to be ready. That was a few weeks ago."

"Wow…" Nanoha was amazed, if a bit saddened to hear the story from the woman herself.

"All of that…" Fate struggled to keep her tears in check, she had to be strong, "For my sake?"

"Like Alicia, there has been much I wanted to say to you as well." Nodded the Testarossa matriarch, "I had hoped to apologize, but I know what I've done goes far beyond a simple word. There is much that I feel I must do, but now..."

"Now what?" asked Fate in fear.

"Now I fear that it is too late for me…" the woman let out a sigh, feeling her depression take hold, "You told me once that you wanted to see me smile. I can't… Not to the girl I abused, threw away, failed. After all that I've done. There's nothing more for me."

"Mama…" Alicia took a few steps forward, concern and fright in her five-year-old mind.

Precia's depression was deep as were her feelings. Her heart wanted something yet her mind had seemed fit to torture her with the memories of her past self and the pain she had inflicted; the irreversible, inexcusable, devastating pain she subjected Fate to. It was enough to sink her soul deep into regret.

"Leave, all of you, please…" Precia spoke once more after a brief pause, "You have work to do. You can't waste any more time than you have already on this old shell of a woman."

"But, why Mama?" Alicia asked her tears like waterworks as she felt scared, "Why?"

"Alicia…" the woman lowered her head so she could lock eyes with her first daughter, "You and Fate deserve better than me. I don't deserve your kindness, not after what I've done."

"Kaa-san, I think it is for me and Alicia decides who to give our kindness to," Fate took a few steps forward, "All of the time with the Jewel Seeds, I only wanted to see you smile. I told you that before, and I'm saying it again."

"I understand…" The old woman shook her head in the regret that seeped into her tone and voice, "But I have done too much harm to you already. Please, leave me…."

"Mama…" the tears subsided, but the girl wore a determined frown as if she had decided on something, "Fine then… we'll leave, but we'll be back when we're done! You better have changed your mind about this..."

"Kaa-san…" Fate timidly reached out with her right hand, only for Alicia to take it and start to drag her out, much to her comical surprise, "E-eh?"

"C'mon, Imouto, everyone!" Alicia shouted almost a little louder than usual, "Mama's being an idiot again, let's go."

"Eh?" Nanoha blinked rapidly in shock at the little girl, "You sure?"

"Yeah," shrugged Alicia, "She'll get over it, but we should have her space for now."

With that said, Alicia and the others started to leave. Out of the group of six, only two had not moved from where they stood. Surprisingly, it was Sonic and Signum who chose to remain, if only for a moment.

"Signum, blue boy?" Vita asked, "Ya coming?"

"We'll catch up." Sonic answered, almost ominously, which was rare for him.

"Go on ahead," Signum added.

Confused, but unwilling to argue, Nanoha, Vita, Fate and Alicia left the workshop, or at least had appeared to. The tension had slowly built up between those that had remained. Signum, alongside Sonic, had stared at the Testarossa matriarch's eyes, as if reading her emotions.

"I presume you have something to say to me," Precia asked, rhetorically, likely knowing what the answer was.

"You were far too quick to simply dismiss your children like that," Signum answered, her tone stoic and informative, but highly accurate, "Are you sure about this decision?"

"No…" the older woman shook her head, the confusion and uncertainty in her expression was as clear as day, "My emotions on this are… conflicted... to say the least. My heart and mind are saying two different things. My heart yearns to be with Alicia and Fate, to protect and raise them like I should have, but my mind is all too willing to remind me of my sins."

"You're not the only one burdened by sins." The swordswoman lamented cryptically, but refused to elaborate, "It is never too late to atone."

"Is it?" questioned Precia, fearfulness slowly entering her tone and expression, "I want to atone. I want to take responsibility for my sins. I -"

"Then do it." Sonic cut in, bluntly.

"What?" the older woman's glance shifted down towards the small hedgehog. Interestingly enough, so did Signum's.

"Don't just sit there and waste your precious time. When you want to do something, do it right away." the hedgehog continued on, displaying wisdom beyond his age, "Do it when you can. It's the only way to live a life without regrets."

At that moment, time had seemed to stand still as Precia was mildly shocked. Signum raised an eyebrow in subdued disbelief. The bout of wisdom, coming from such an unreliable source as the hedgehog, had seemed to affect the older woman. With nothing else to add or say, the swordswoman and the hedgehog took their leave.

As the two left, they saw that Vita, Nanoha, Fate and Alicia had eavesdropped. Nothing was said openly, but Sonic's words of wisdom had an effect on the others in their own way. If nothing else, it was a surprise, no one could have expected that the hedgehog had been capable of such anti-nihilism.

"A life without regrets…" mused Precia in deep thought

* * *

 **[Dimensional Space]  
[Time-Space Administration Bureau Space Headquarters]  
[Office of Director Midget Crowbel]  
[BGM: "Baron Castle" Final Fantasy IV]**

Lindy and Leti stood at attention and waited as the director took her seat. Crowbel calmly, at her own pace, seated herself proper before she opened a few folders on her desk. The documents within appeared to be reports from the last two incidents that had hit Earth, or as the Bureau had referred to it, Non-Administrated World #97.

"Sit," The woman gestured to the pair of comfortable looking chairs before the younger women, 'We have much to discuss."

The two women took their seats as requested of them. They watched quietly with bated breath, sharing an understandably nervous feeling, not dissimilar to being students in the principal's office, as the director typed a few keys on the keyboard of her office computer. Images started to stream on the monitor behind the older woman, showing stills of planet Earth.

"Now, let us begin…" Crowbel spoke as the screen behind her displayed additional data on the planet, specifically regarding the incidents reported on in the files at her desk, "We know that the 97th indexed world, identified locally as 'Earth', has been the epicenter of two major incidents within the last, approximately, three-quarters of the last calendar year. The cases in question, had it not been for our intervention, would've likely had far more disastrous results."

"Correct," confirmed Lindy, her tone professional to befit whom she addressed, "In fact, both incidents took place within the same city, country and had involved the same civilian."

"Yes, one Takamachi Nanoha," Crowbel confirmed, displaying a picture of the mentioned chestnut-haired girl's profile, "Native of Uminari City, Japan, youngest of her family at age nine, third-grader at Private Seishou University-affiliated Elementary School, designated as a Citizen Collaborator for the Jewel Seed incident, later becoming a Contract Mage in the following Book of Darkness incident.

"Mana capacity output estimated at rank 'AAA+', presumably aerial, and her device is registered as the Intelligent Device, Raising Heart Exelion," the director finished the referential debrief of the girl, "This is correct?"

"Indeed." Lindy nodded curtly, "She, by coincidence, was the one who encountered archeologist Yuuno Scrya at the beginning of the Jewel Seed incident. She was a normal schoolgirl before becoming a magical in order to assist in recovering the Lost Logia, during which time she met and befriended the second mage connected to both incidents."

"Fate Testarossa." the director displayed the next mentioned girl's profile, "Artificial Mage, product of the 'Project Fate' in which she was named from. Officially her age is listed at nine though given her status as an artificial clone, that is hard to confirm. Her mana capacity here is listed at 'AAA+' and like Nanoha-san, is also designated as an aerial mage, her device listed as the Intelligent Device Bardiche.

"She, along with her familiar Alph, had been a secondary antagonistic force in the Jewel Seed incident, but both were acquitted in the resulting trial." Crowbel went on, her tone professional without a slightest hint of emotion, "She then became a Probationary Contract Mage under you, Harlaown, and I heard you had even extended her an offer of adoption."

"Yes, but she has yet to give me her decision," Harlaown confirmed without a second thought, "She said that she still needs to come to terms with how she feels about her mother."

"Though I won't need to say this, I will do so, let her come to that decision on her own volition, don't try to press her," the director advised cautiously, "At any rate, months after the resolution of the previous incident, Fate-san was allowed to visit Nanoha-san on Earth, this was the ninth month of the last calendar year?"

"Indeed," the teal-haired woman confirmed once more, "The night of their initial reunion was when the Wolkenritter attacked and defeated Nanoha-san, absorbing her Linker Core to fill the Book of Darkness. In their attempt of assistance, Fate and her familiar were also defeated by the knights, their cores also absorbed. That encounter, though holding troubling results, had also brought our attention to that world once more."

Silence fell amongst the three as the weight of the ramifications could be felt. Lindy's words from the previous hearing had also been brought to the forefront. Had Fate and Arf not have been able to visit Nanoha on Earth that night, the Bureau would likely not have gotten involved until later, likely when it was much too late.

"So, here is where we stand," Crowbel cleared her throat, "We have two major cases on the same world within a year and a third likely in progress. This same world is also the birthplace of several pivotal mages, Admiral Gil Graham, Contract Mage Takamachi, Yagami Hayate, the mistress of the Night Sky and this Sonic the Hedgehog character. Far more than enough to warrant future interest…."

"Our problem, however…" interjected Leti Lowran, "Is that Earth is non-administrated and has their own government. So that ties our hands officially."

"Officially, yes…" The older woman had a rather ominous tone to her voice, "But unofficially…"

"What do you have in mind, director?" Lindy was almost afraid to ask.

"U-fufufufu~! Let me tell you about something that I've been plotting as of late," The ominous aura within Crowbel's tone grew, nearly scaring the living daylights out of the two before her, "A new pet project regarding this interesting world, Project 97."

* * *

 **[Non-Administrated World #97 "Earth"]  
[South Island Archipelago: Never Lake]  
[Little Planet: Quartz Quadrant: Act 1]  
[Time: Present]  
[BGM: "Quartz Quadrant" Sonic CD (JPN/EU)]**

The first zone following the Testarossa manor was the previously mentioned quartz mine, designated as 'Quartz Quadrant'. It was an aqua-colored mining region bustling with machinery designed for the purpose of extracting crystals. The material, likely quartz to befit the name, was loaded onto conveyor belts and platforms for an unknown purpose. Some of the materials were being transported while some were left lying around. Inaccessible to the party, there was a swamp area in the outdoor region where the quartz was being shipped off to, likely in transit to any shipment's final destination.

Alicia had started to lead her party through the zone while, humorously enough, riding on Nanoha's shoulders for some reason, much to Fate's shock and worry. The chestnut-haired girl gave no objection, content to let the small blonde piggy-back off of her.

"Uh…" Sonic suddenly piped up, picking up on a weird ominous feeling, "Anyone else feel a disturbance in The Force?"

"Nope." Alicia shook her head.

"Negative" Signum added.

"No." echoed Fate

"Sorry," Nanoha said with a small shake of her head, making sure not to accidentally throw Alicia off.

"You sure you're not imagining things, blue boy?" Vita asked, grumpily voicing her denial.

Nanoha gazed up at the little blonde that had taken a liking to riding her shoulder. Concern was etched in her indigo-bluish orbs as she watched. She knew that the small girl was hurt by Precia's words earlier, even if she could feel only regret, not malic through them.

"Um, Alicia-chan?" she asked the girl on her shoulder, "Are you doing alright? I mean, with what Precia-san said earlier, that must have hurt."

"I'm fine, Mama goes through these phases sometimes, it's best to just ride them out and wait for her to recover." the small blonde frowned and sent a concerned look at the taller blonde whom she had vehemently declared to be her younger sister, "I'm more concerned about Fate…"

"Yeah, it wasn't easy for her after the Jewel Seed incident," Nanoha added, following the young blonde's gaze, "She was tried, but acquitted by the Bureau for the crimes, but I don't think she ever got over what happened."

"I had help, Lindy-san, Chrono and Amy supported me." Fate, obviously overhearing what was said, responded in kind with a small blush on her face, "In fact, Lindy-san had offered to adopt me into her family."

"She did?" Nanoha could not stop herself from smiling at the happy news, "That's great, I'm happy for you."

"Well…" Fate shook her head, "I still haven't given her my answer. I told her that I wanted to settle my feelings with kaa-san first. And now with Alicia here…"

"This Lindy-san…" Alicia frowned in thought, taking the news of the adoption offer with neutrality, opting to keep her judgment reserved until she knew more, "Is she a nice lady?"

"Mhm…" nodded Fate with Nanoha echoing said gesture, "She's nice and kind. Chrono's a good brother-like figure too. I wouldn't mind accepting their offer, but-,"

"Then do it," Alicia cut her sister off right there with that bold statement, shocking both girls with her honesty, though there seemed to be a condition in what she had said too, "Just, um, answer me this though. I want to stay with you; after waiting so long to find you, I just can't bear myself to let you go now."

"Alicia…" Fate slowly started to speak up but was silenced by a finger gesture.

"If mama doesn't want to stay with us, I want to know…" the small blonde had but one question now, "Would she take me in too?"

The question had two answers: yes or no, but even then, it was still an interesting one to think about. Fate weighed what she knew of Lindy already and factored in what she figured the admiral would think about Alicia. She could not lie, the taller blonde had felt a bond between her original and herself, and she felt that it was mutually sustained by their feelings for one another. It was that, along with a bit of wishful thinking, that made the answer a swift one.

"Yes." Fate replied, "Without a doubt."

"Great!" The smaller blonde cheered from her perch on Nanoha's shoulder, almost falling off in a comical fashion, "I can't wait!"

As the three girls reveled in their happiness, Vita took a moment to internally ponder their dialogue along with what Sonic had said to the old hag back there. She could look past the anti-nihilism, but the wisdom behind the words, those were not what she expected from a kid. In fact, the level of maturity displayed by the "youngest" of the group, when compared to herself and Signum at least, was ridiculous!

" _Oy! Signum!"_ Vita pinged the swordswoman telepathically, _"Can we talk for a bit?"_

" _I presume this is about what Sonic told the Testarossa matriarch."_ Signum knowingly replied, _"Better words of wisdom have only been dreamed off by older man."_

" _Yeah, that's the point! Where did he learn to say that? He's too fricken young!"_ Vita went on, uninterrupted, _"In fact, the maturity here by the chibis here annoy me! Nanoha, Fate and the chibi aren't even out of their training bras and they're that mature."_

" _That is true, but we can't fault them for being responsible,"_ the pink-haired woman countered aptly, and ready to point out one little thing as well, _"Also, you are saying this when you are also 'young', like them."_

" _Shut up, Boob Monster!"_ The hotheaded knight of the hammer shouted back, _"You're one to talk! 33D demon tits!"_

" _For your information, they are 34E."_ Signum's tone shifted ever so slighting into annoyance and a little bit of embarrassment, _"Be accurate, unless you want to be a stain on Laevatein's blade."_

" _Um, Signum-san, Vita-chan..."_ Nanoha suddenly cut in with a flustered tone, drawing both knights to look at her clearly blushing face. She truly did not wish to be rude and interrupt, but given what she was about to say, there was justification, _"You've been broadcasting publicly for the last few minutes."_

One could hear a pin drop as the telepathic chatter ceased. A quick glance at the rest of the party revealed that Fate had sported a blush that was just as red in color as Nanoha's, while Sonic and Alicia had differing reactions. Alicia had seemed almost a bit jealous while Sonic, blinking rapidly, had tilted his head in trying to formulate a thought or comment.

The hedgehog's reaction was most interesting and intriguing, he looked like he was trying to make sense out of most of the words said. He understood the praise about his wisdom and felt oddly humble about it, but as for when the topic reached training bras and boobs, that was when he just blinked. One could see the words fly right over his head in the mental imagery.

"I don't get it." Sonic said, plainly.

' _I don't know what to think about that…'_ Nanoha just stared plainly at the hedgehog.

' _Gott sei Dank (Thank god!)!'_ Vita practically prayed, _'Hayate hasn't corrupted him yet!'_

The time warp plate to the past could not have shown itself faster as a fair female majority of the team needed the distraction away from the rather titillating subject previously mentioned. Vita might have put a little more power behind her swing than she had intended, but it got the job done and whisked the strike team off into the past.

* * *

 **[Quartz Quadrant: Act 2]  
[Time: Past]  
[BGM: "Quartz Quadrant ~P" Sonic CD)]**

For the first time since the start of the adventure, the party found themselves in a time zone that was a stark contrast to the previous. Unlike the present, the past held more of a resemblance to a bayou while the caverns they traversed looked more natural and peaceful. A large amount of quartz crystals lay in some type of ooze, initially believed to spawn from the outlying swamp. Like the present, they conveyor belts were featured and operational, but were not used for any purpose yet.

"Not that I don't mind adventuring to beautiful places like this," Nanoha commented with a certain level of confusion, "There's something really weird about this world."

"What do you mean?" Fate asked.

"I don't know, yet…" the chestnut-haired girl replied with uncertainty, "I don't want to jump to any conclusions."

"Hmmm…" Alicia hummed in thought from riding Nanoha's back, her leg incidentally triggering a switch on the conveyor belt.

"Well, don't try to keep those thoughts to yourse-whoa!" Sonic's chain of thought was broken swiftly as the conveyor he was on had changed directions abruptly, going from reverse to forward, nearly propelling him too far ahead.

"Heh, heh" Alicia lightly chuckled in amusement, drawing a particularly dirty look from the hedgehog, which led her to issue an apology, "Sorry, I forgot to mention that the conveyor belts here can run in forward or reverse when a switch is triggered."

"Well, are there any other hazards that we should be aware of?" a miffed Sonic asked sarcastically. Oh sure, he would not mind an extra boost or two of his speed, he would just rather it be on his own terms, thank you very much, "If so, please share with the rest of the class. So, we don't end up running around looking like idiots like Vita."

"Yeah! Like m-" the mentioned red knight had to stop herself as she walked right into a clever barb laid down by the hedgehog, "HEY!"

"Oooh," Nanoha, like the expert gamer girl that she was, pounced on the opportunity to tease her former rival, "He got you good, Vita-chan."

"Shut up, baka(idiot)." huffed Vita in a grumpy tone.

Alicia allowed herself to giggle at the antics portrayed to her before stopping. Though she enjoyed the hedgehog's cute discomfort and annoyance, partially as a petty payback for the "chibi-exposition-guide" comment earlier, she knew full well when to start taking things seriously. It was that notion, reinforced by Signum's scary glare, that had her talking about what was to come in the zone.

"The belts here are the main gimmick, they can run in forward or reverse, depending on what switch is pressed, but the speed won't change." the small girl started to explain, "Also, there are transport tubes here that are really fun to ride on, but you have to make sure the conveyor is going in the direction you want the tube to be, otherwise it just throws you out."

True to her word, the team taken a higher route that resulted in encountering one of the mentioned tube slides. As he had taken point anyways, Sonic went in first to check for safety, using his ball form just for safety precautions. After informing them that it was safe, the hedgehog watched as the rest of his team went down the same tube as if it was a slide. Incidentally as Vita and Nanoha went down last, they unintentionally gave a show of their respective yellow and pink panties.

"Um… Nanoha." a flustered Fate said with a light pink blush, "Try to hold your skirt down… I could, see them."

"Oh!" Nanoha did such, but it was a bit too late and the damage was done, "Nyahaha."

While there were four types of robots in the zone, only two of them had presented a legitimate threat to deal with, and they were the Kumo-Kumo and Sasori. The Kumo-Kumo were springy spiders that leapt high into the air to attack aerial foes and employed a web to sap the movements attempted. Sasori were scorpion reminiscent robots that would fire lasers from its tail. Both robots, while on their own were quite formidable with their abilities, combined to make finding the teleporter tiring.

It also seemed as though Eggman had learned from the last few zones as the robot teleporter and projection devices were together, but were guarded by at least a dozen of the two troublesome mechs each. The situation had forced Sonic to use his second ring of the adventure while Nanoha, Fate, Signum and Vita also had to expend a cartridge each, much to Alicia's curiosity. Her question had to be held off as they soon hit another time warp plate and were whisked to the future.

* * *

 **[Quartz Quadrant: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[BGM: "Quartz Quadrant ~G" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

The good future zone in which the strike team landed was an underground utopia of gold that gave off the feeling that it was hidden from society. Mining operations had been ceased and brilliant towers of quartz gleamed through the darkness of the caverns. Outside of the paradise of quartz lay futuristic domes with large mountains and brilliant forestry beyond. Interestingly enough, there was a towering wall in the mid-height section featuring the same type of domes, it was likely that the wall was built to keep outsiders at bay, signifying that this civilization was once active, as Nanoha had started to suspect.

"Alicia-chan," The chestnut-haired girl in white asked her new friend, who was far more familiar with the region, "I have a question that I've been meaning to ask."

"Yeah?" queried the girl, obviously allowing the question.

"Are you sure that it's only been you and Precia-san here?" Nanoha could hold the question no further, she never wanted to instill doubt in the story that Precia and Alicia told, but the evidence was piling up, "Because with the casino zone and this place looking like a city, it seems like there would have been more inhabitants."

"Mama noticed that too, but we did several scans of each zone and timeline." Alicia said with a shrug, "If there were any people here, they are long gone now. Mama also had suspected that given how we got here, it's possible that there's a link to Al-Hazard."

"Al-Hazard?" Sonic scratched his furry forehead in thought, "That's that one place thing that the old lady was trying to get to?"

"Yeah…" a small sigh escaped Alicia's lips, offhandedly disregarding the jibe on her mother, "Mama suspects that there is a connection between Little Planet and Al-Hazard. At least, that's what she told me."

The chatter went quiet as the team progressed through the zone. With the robots out of the way, the only things to contend with in the zone were the specific mechanics such as the conveyor belts and tubes. Though true flight was impossible given the small spaces, the aerial mages and knights were able to keep to a low glide on the ground to keep up with Sonic's foot speed.

They soon found themselves on a straight, narrow path that seemed to be when Eggman had made his move. A set of sharp spikes lowered from the entrance to block the possibility of backtracking. The doctor soon made his appearance, though not with any robots or the like. Instead, he had blocked their path with a purple colored booth. In addition, a conveyor belt lay underfoot, though it had yet to be activated.

"I'm not tipping you," quipped Sonic to the doctor, "And if you say anything about passwords, I will hurt you."

"Oh, this booth doesn't require a password," Eggman fingered his moustache with a comically large grin, "But if you do want to pass, I'll have to charge you about, say, three million yen?"

"And if we don't pay?" Signum queried as she drew her blade.

"Well then…" The doctor pressed a few keys and started the conveyor in reverse, drawing the grounded hedgehog towards the spikes, "You'll pay with your lives!"

Immediately the hedgehog started to run to counter the conveyor belt while the other knights and mages floated above. The sight, while awkward and humorous, still proved a point of a rather obvious flaw in the Egghead's plans.

"Did you forget we could fly, idiot?!" The knight of the iron hammer insulted.

"Oh! how careless of me to forge-!" Eggman pressed a key on the booth that lowered a massive fan in front of the aerial mages, "Oops, just kidding!"

 **[VS Boss]  
[BGM: "Boss" Sonic CD (JPN/EU)]**

The fan activated and sent a massive gust of wind that put the aerial mages off balanced and threw them towards the spikes, but they were fortunate enough to stop their momentum and change course in the nick of time. Fate, being the fastest of the fliers, took point with Nanoha, Vita, Signum and Alicia far behind.

" _Those fans are probably powerful enough to push Sonic's spin-attack back, so don't aim for them!"_ Nanoha sent out via the telepathic channels, _"Sonic-kun, Vita-chan."_

Sonic and Vita immediately went on the offensive, respectively utilizing their Spin-Attack and Raketenhammer to try and break through the booth. Sadly, their efforts were nullified with the nigh indestructible armor, though Vita manage to leave a small dent where she struck. Both hedgehog and berserker knight found themselves awfully frustrated by their failed efforts.

"Did you really think that would work?" The doctor grinned maniacally as he pressed a few keys on the booth.

A crane-like mechanism floated overhead containing a spikey bomb. With a few key presses, the holder dropped the mine, just missing the aerial mages and the hedgehog on the ground. It burst upon landing, sending several spikey balls in a circular field.

" _That was close!"_ Nanoha noted, _"Even if we dodge it, Sonic-kun's still vulnerable on the ground, so try to block the next few ones with our shields."_

"You're kinda doing Egg-stremely badly here," Taunted Sonic to the scientist with another egg-related pun, likely to rile him up and draw the mad scientist to do something stupid.

"Am I?" The doctor sent another bomb on a crane and dropped it on the mages.

No one had to move to avoid that bomb as Eggman's aim on the last drop was just a bit outside. He tried to graze the mages and hedgehog with the spikey payload, but he missed wildly. In his frustration, the scientist turned up the power on the conveyor belt and fans, forcing Sonic to speed up while Nanoha, Vita, Signum, Alicia and Fate had to concentrate more of their mana on sustaining their flight speed with their flight support spells.

Nanoha's eyes narrowed as she stared at the dent originally made by Vita's hammer on the first strike. She knew that if the battle drew on any further, their magic would be depleted. A plan swiftly formed in her mind; she had been meaning to run a test of a spell that she had developed with Raising Heart anyway.

" _Everyone, make a path please,"_ She sent out the request, _"I think I can take this one out in one shot!"_

" _You sure?"_ Queried Signum neutrally, though she acquiesced once she felt the honesty from the mage in white, _"Very well."_

"Raising Heart!" Nanoha called out to her staff, "Let's try out that new combination we've been working on."

" _ **Yes, my master!"**_ The device chimed back as it loaded several cartridges for a boost of magic, _**"A.C.S Standby!"**_

"We're going to break through his defenses and take him out in one shot!" the girl in white said to her device as she watched the head change to a more spear-like appearance, "Exelion Buster, A.C.S!"

" _ **Strike Flame!"**_ Raising Heart declared as it formed an energy bayonet on the tip and several sets of wings sprouted from the head. Blades shaped like sickles formed at the edges of the device's frame.

In an instant, Nanoha launched off and struck the booth contraption in the same spot that Vita had created a dent. The fans could have spun faster than a jet turbine, but they still were insignificant to Raising Heart's Accelerated Charge System, which was designed specifically for high-speed aerial combat.

At first, it seemed as though Eggman's booth would hold out, much to the doctor's delight. Nanoha could hear the man's taunts and laughs of pure cockiness, but she tuned them out and kept her focus on piercing through.

"C-Come on!" Nanoha winced as she felt sweat flow down her face, willing her device to load but a few more cartridges and increase the power output, the wings sprouting wider and brighter.

Sure enough, her efforts were not in vain as the blade from Raising Heart started to pierce a hole into to the booth.

"W-What?!" Eggman cried out in sheer disbelief, "Impossible!"

"Break…" Nanoha loudly called out the trigger words for the spell to end it there and then, "Shoot!"

Instantly, Eggman's booth was engulfed in pink as Nanoha fired the point blank Exelion Buster. A massive beam of pure power flowed out from Raising Heart's tip, destroying not only the booth, but also the whole wall behind it! Luckily for Eggman, the explosion had sent him soaring out of the zone, though not without the Buster grazing him and leaving a significant tear in his clothing.

 **-Boss Defeated-  
[Jingle: "Zone Clear" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

The conveyor and fans soon shut down after Eggman's departure, allowing the knights, mages and hedgehog to slow down to a complete stop. All immediate attention and concern was on Nanoha, who was kneeling on the ground due to the severe fatigue she had brought upon herself

"Haa...haa… haa." Nanoha panted as Raising Heart opened its vents and released a massive amount of steam, likely due to the high output of magic expended for her attack.

"Nanoha!" Fate, in a bout of worry, went to her friend's side, "Are you alright?!"

"Y-yeah..." The chestnut-haired girl slowly caught her breath, "Sorry if I worried you, Fate-chan."

"That was quite a significant amount of power you expended just now," Signum regarded the little girl carefully, "Are you sure you don't need a moment?"

"Nope!" The girl in white put on a brave face and jumped, "I'm going to be okay!"

"Showoff…" Vita grumbled.

' _After all of that?!'_ Alicia gawked, _'Is she even human?!'_

"..." Sonic just blinked and made a mental not to not get on her bad side in the future.

Though Signum and forced Nanoha to bring up the rear so she could recover her strength, the strike team pressed onwards.

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #13: Chrono]  
Name: Chrono Harlaown  
Katakana: ****クロノ** **・** **ハラオウン** **(Kurono Haraoun)  
Gender: Male  
Age: 14  
Height: 137 cm  
Weight: 42 kg  
Rank (Military): Enforcer  
Color: Light-Blue  
System: Mid-Childa  
Rank (Magic): AAA (Air)  
Device: S2U**

 **[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #14: Amy]  
Name: Amy Limietta  
Katakana: ****エイミィ** **・** **リミエッタ** **(Eimyi Rimietta)  
Gender: Female  
Age: 16  
Height: 150 cm  
Weight: 40 kg  
Affiliation: Sailing Force (Arthra)  
Occupation(s): Enforcer Assistant, Information Specialist  
Magic: None**

* * *

 **[Uminari City, Japan]  
[Residential District: Yagami Residence]  
[No BGM]**

Amy Limietta, liaison and representative for the Time-Space Administration, had seated herself on the couch in the Yagami household with a laptop for her work. She used the computer to keep in touch with Chrono Harlaown; keeping him informed of the progress her deployed mages had made in liberating Little Planet.

So far, they had only been able to report in when they were starting a new zone and the reports were brief and nonspecific. While they had confirmed that the source of the distress beacon was a friendly mage in need, they had yet to introduce her formally or even hint at her name. Not even Precia's sudden reappearance was mentioned.

"That's all I have so far, Chrono-kun." Amy said to Chrono with a hint of regret in her tone, "I'm sorry if I couldn't get into specifics."

"I imagine Nanoha-san, Fate-san and the others are still gathering their intelligence," Chrono seemed far more content that he had some information to work on, "Don't worry about it."

"Still…" Limietta paused for a moment, "Fate-chan has been acting really uncomfortable recently. Arf-chan said that she felt a lot of emotional distress a while back through their link."

This development had seemed to intrigue the young enforcer as he started to process what was said. If the intelligence so far was correct, the adventure had taken to the South Island or at least one of the islands present in that region. From the outside, there seemed to be little reason to suspect that something would have been present that could trigger an episode like Arf had reported.

"Fate-chan's a strong, kind girl." Amy noted, "I don't know what could have happened to trigger it, but Arf has been on edge since that happened."

"I see…" Chrono adopted a slight thoughtful look on his face as he slowly started to form a speculation, "Is it possible that she had found an emotional trigger while deployed in this new region?"

"It could be, and that could be consistent with the episode she had earlier." the older teen nodded her head in thought, "But the only things that could've resulted in trauma of that degree would almost require something that reminded her of her family."

"Like her treatment at the hands of Precia?" The boy inquired, "Or anything that triggered her memories before the incident as well."

"But what could have triggered those memories resurfacing? And even so, to the degree that we had seen earlier, we'd almost think that Pre-!" Amy Limietta stopped herself from continuing any further on that chain of thought as if a sudden idea had come into her mind, one that she did not like, "It... It can't be…"

"You think Precia Testarossa still lives?" Chrono inquired, almost spilling a drink from his computer desk "It would make sense if she was the mage who sent out the distress beacon."

"Wouldn't that be a coincidence?" Amy thought out loud, somewhat rhetorically, "On Fate-chan's first mission on Earth since the Book of Darkness incident, she'd run into her own creator."

"Let us keep that between ourselves for now, though." the enforcer urged caution, "If we make too big of a deal out of this and we end up incorrect, it will not end well for Fate."

"Okay, well I gotta get going now." the brunette inclined her head in regret that she had to hang up, "I'll keep you posted on any more updates that I get.

"Very well, then." Nodded the boy, "Let's keep our suspicions about Precia Testarossa between the two of us for now. It wouldn't do for us to jump to any conclusions, especially if it could be refuted so easily.

"You got it!" Amy pressed a few buttons to end the communication feed, "Limietta out!"

As she set her computer down and headed for the dining room table to sample a mid-morning snack with Reinforce, Zafira, Hayate and Arf, Amy could not help but wonder about the ideas that were floated about during her report to Chrono. Could Precia Testarossa be alive? And if so, was she friend or foe?

* * *

 **[Wacky Workbench: Act 1]  
[Time: Present]  
[BGM: "Wacky Workbench" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

One look at the workbench zone and it was easy to see how Alicia's device was made here. The whole zone was a weapons warehouse located within a canyon under the rule of electricity. Several mechanisms like hovering platforms, grounded sirens, checkered floors and weird atom-like structures that generated an electric current. With all of the technology, even in the present, the argument of Little Planet having some connection to Al-Hazard was bolstered to the point just shy of reaching a conclusion.

"Okay, just to make sure," Sonic sent a weird look at Alicia, "This was here already, right?"

"Yes," The small blonde sighed in exasperation, "This weapons warehouse was here when mama and I arrived. We were able to use the tech around here to forge Lucky Star."

"Is there anything we should worry about here?" Nanoha asked, "Aside from the obviously dangerous-looking electric stuff?"

"When the checkered floor lights up, it becomes really, really bouncy." Alicia gestured to a set of wooden platforms that were bouncing off the lit-up floor, "It activates on timed intervals, so be careful when you walk on it."

There was another mechanism that operated on a timely basis and that was the electric security system, designed to as the atom-like structure with coils running across the atoms horizontally, vertically and in a diamond-shaped pattern. When activated, a harsh static current ran through the conductive metal in the array. A few unlucky robots, shaped like grasshoppers oddly enough, had the misfortune of crossing through during the activation. Needless to say, they were fried on the spot, much to Nanoha and Fate's visible shock and near horror.

"Shocking." quipped Sonic.

"W-wha…" Nanoha pointed a trembling finger at the sunflowers left in the wake of the scrap, "What was that?!"

"Oh yeah, that's the high voltage security system, it came with the place." Alicia noted idly, "It runs on a different interval than the floors. And, It hurts! A lot!"

"Please don't keep that to yourself, nee-san," A very timid Fate requested.

"D'awwww." swooned the smaller girl as she hugged Fate, drawing a cute blush from her, "my adorable imouto is nervous. Don't worry, nee-san will protect you!"

"S-sure..." Fate gulped, timidly.

The security mechanism was easier to evade than it had looked. All it took was a simple matter of timing the progression in between each activation. For some reason, the floating platforms had drawn the ire of Nanoha, though the girl had refused to say why. It was of little matter to the rest of the party as she had refrained from letting it become a major issue, just one of annoyance. The time warp plate to the past was located on a metallic girder elevated above the floor. Sonic had the honors of triggering it as he ran circles around the sign, causing it to spin fast enough to send them off to the past.

* * *

 **[Wacky Workbench: Act 2]  
[Time: Past]  
[BGM: "Wacky Workbench ~P" Sonic CD]**

A construction zone for the Workbench was where the team had found themselves upon exiting the time warp. The girders, platforms and many of the other features in the zone that were once a dark blue were now bright green in color. Red-colored canyons could be seen in the backdrop with various construction cranes, operating automatically, looming below them. Despite how impossible it was, the past was unchanged in comparison to the present, leading to a supposition that most of the mechanisms in this time zone were saved and preserved for the present.

"Uh Alicia?" Sonic asked the girl with a soft poke of the shoulder, "I have a question."

"Shoot." the girl said, motioning for Sonic to ask.

"Eggman mentioned something about the Time Stones," quick to the point, the hedgehog was, "You wouldn't happen to know anything abou-."

" _They're with mama."_ Alicia responded via telepathy, drawing shock from the hedgehog and interest from the others present, _"As Mama's final test for my magic training, she had me collect them. This was long before the whole drama with Mustached Baldy started."_

" _Whoa, warn a guy before you do that!"_ the blue hedgehog groaned in annoyance, _"I'm still not used to speaking this way."_

" _Sorry about that,"_ the small blonde apologized lightly, _"Mama urged me caution about that. We don't know if Mustached Baldy is capable of listening in on our conversation."_

" _He appears to have at least surveillance in each of the zones we've been to thus far,"_ Noted Signum, _"Though whether it was just visual has yet to be confirmed."_

" _And we don't know if he was able to intercept my communications with mama earlier,"_ Added Alicia, _"So right now, unless we can be sure that what we're saying physically is not what we want Baldy to hear, we should keep to either telepathy or just be quiet."_

"Awe..." Sonic pouted, "Where's the fun in that?"

Speaking of fun, the robots in the Workbench zone had provided some for the hedgehog and his comrades. Two of the most relevant types of badniks in the zone were the Poh-Bee and the Bata-Pyon. Poh-bee were stocky bee-like bots that flew through the air, firing salvos at threats, reminding Sonic of the Buzzbombers from Green Hill. The Bata-Pyon were the grasshopper-shaped robots that the party had previously seen get fried in the present. They had springs for feet in which they used to jump around and land on any unsuspecting enemies.

The number of robots were scarce though as the security systems had limited the number of forces. Still, there was a steady flow of robots replacing the ones destroyed, which meant that the teleporter had presented a threat. The projector device, which is what the team had encountered first, still had the effect of riling up Sonic's nerves.

"If I ever find this robot…" The hedgehog grumbled as he crushed the device underfoot, "I'm gonna make him pay for using my awesome image for evil and that crap."

"Awesome? Your image?" Vita let out a few chuckles, as if she had heard the funniest joke ever.

"Yeah, you're more cute than awesome," Nanoha added, giggling a bit.

"Hey!" Sonic, sounding obviously offended, folded his arms under his chest in a cool manner, "I am quite awesome, thank you~!"

The teleporter was destroyed next, it was located on one of the higher girders past the projection device. Fate had been the one to destroy the teleporter; Bardiche's blade was far sharp enough to do the trick. With the destruction of both devices, another zone was liberated of Eggman's influence. All that remained was to confront the doctor in the future and drive him out.

On their way to the future time plate, the team was lucky enough to encounter a secret room containing what appeared to be a statue of a beautiful angel. The figure was adorned with a somewhat revealing Greek-like dress and it had been drawn in a manner that had it leaned forward, accentuating its lovely figure. While Alicia, Fate and Nanoha had teamed up to bar Sonic from seeing such a scandalous image, much to the hedgehog's confusion, Vita and Signum shared a knowing look. Should they ever come here again, Hayate would not be allowed to see the statue.

* * *

 **[Wacky Workbench: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[BGM: "Wacky Workbench ~G" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

The Workbench in the future was highly advanced, pink and purple in color, and had many of its hazardous functions replaced by advanced, safer technology. Many of the odd features were colorful, childish, geometric shapes bearing the aesthetics of a circus. A toy land of fun and fancy was what the Workbench had become. Interestingly enough, while the checkered floors had remained active, the security system was not active.

"Ahh!" Alicia absolutely gushed in happiness

"Favorite zone, Alicia-nee-san?" Fate asked, knowingly.

"Mhmm!" It took all of the little girl's willpower to restrain herself from having the time of her life at the toy land.

"Is there anything to worry about in this timeline?" queried Signum, getting straight to the point.

"Aside from the bouncing floor, floating platforms and such, nope." The small girl replied, "In fact, even the electrical security system is inactive, so we don't have to worry about it."

Though the security system was offline, the bouncy floor, which had become another of Sonic's favorite toys to abuse, much to the annoyance of Vita, had still been a factor to contend with in the toy land zone. In addition, some of the other electric fields, while scarce and placed in a manner to only bar unauthorized entry, were still active. None of the fields were blocking anything of real interest, so the party was able to ignore them.

Soon they had come across a rather conveniently placed clearing in the middle of the zone. It seemed to be the perfect, if a bit predictable, place for an ambush. One had to wonder how predictable the mad scientist was. To be fair, there were only a few places in which to launch such an attack, so there was a measure of wisdom.

Sure enough, the doctor had descended upon them, piloting a small rocket with a set of spikes in a pattern to resemble a drill. The rocket also seemed to be incredibly armored like the booth from the previous zone, a testament to signify how much the doctor has improved from the previous encounters.

"Well, hello again." Eggman greeted almost too cordially, "And what do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, you know..." Sonic replied casually, "Just running around."

"Running around?" queried the doctor.

"Running around," The hedgehog sensed an obvious pattern in the exchange.

"Thwarting my plans?" The mad scientist's tone did not change, humorously enough.

"Thwarting your plans?" Sonic asked, keeping the same casual tone.

"Are you?!" Eggman nearly shouted, breaking his tone in comical fury.

"No, we're looking for flying monkeys." Exasperation and a heavy amount of sarcasm dipped into Sonic's tone, "Do you know where we could find the yellow brick road?"

The humor was not lost to the rest of the peanut gallery, as Nanoha, Fate and Alicia had to stifle their giggles while Vita and Signum smirked, though the latter was more discreet about it.

"You've made a mockery of my talents for the last time," The doctor slammed a few keys on his console to start the drill and rocket engine, "Time to die."

 **[VS Boss]  
[BGM: "Boss" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

Eggman had taken a less direct approach in his attack, powering the rockets to a stronger degree and launching off into the ceiling above. Initially, it had caused confusion amongst the party, but that was soon cleared up as the ceiling started to cave in, causing blocks of it to drop. Their heavy weight and size made them awfully hard to dodge unless one was in a lucky position.

"He's trying to bring the whole room down." Signum noted, "Steel yourselves."

"I don't think that's the only thing he's trying to do," Sonic added cautiously.

Sure enough, the hedgehog was correct in his assumption as it quickly became noticeable that there were prongs on the wall just close to the floor. Eggman had likely planned ahead and set a means to electrify the floor. Soon the prongs activated and sent a strong electrical current through the floor and the checkered floor lit up.

Swiftly, the aerial mages and knights ascended up to the second level while Sonic used the bouncing blocks as stepping stones to follow suit. Once they got through the hole in the ceiling, the team landed on the second floor, which had the same array set-up. Eggman's strategy seemed to focus on testing his foes' speed, agility and timing as all three factors were of major importance.

"Oh ho~!" The doctor allowed himself a moment to compliment his foes, "I'm surprised you managed to figure that out, but I wonder if you'll be able to do that again now that you have less room."

"Eisen!" Vita shouted to her hammer as she held it in a rather threatening manner.

" _ **Gigant!"**_ pinged the device in return as it loaded a cartridge and shifted into the massive sledgehammer form, the very same form it had taken during the NachtWal battle.

"Oh my… That is…" Eggman could not help but tremble at the sight, "A very… big… hammer."

While the doctor was sure of the durability of his rocket's armor, he still felt a healthy amount of fear that the Iron Knight's hammer might render that useless. It was time to initiate the second phase of the plan anyways, so the doctor activated the rocket boosters once more.

Vita, on the other hand, was going to have none of that. She took off in swift pursuit, using her Pferde spell to increase her flight speed and mobility. Though she was far from the fastest flyer in her team, she managed to easily catch up to the rocket drill mech.

"URYAAAAAAAAAA!" The knight of the hammer took a massive, mighty swing at the mech and slammed into it, hard.

One can only count the things that combination of the iron knight Vita and Graf Eisen could not crush with two hands, especially when the berserker's hammer was in its Gigant state. Eggman's rocket was no different as the blow left a massive, octagonal hole while the impact from the initial swing had generated enough force to send the machine into the wall.

In pure shock, everyone with the notable exception of Signum had found themselves wide-eyed and their mouths agape.

"Such p-power!" Eggman stuttered out.

"Oh, you're still in one piece." Vita eyed up the mech, noting that it was still functional despite the gaping hole, "Eisen, let's fix that."

" _ **Ja!"**_ the hammer confirmed as it loaded two more cartridges to provide a bigger boost of power.

"Gigant…" shouted the iron knight as she closed in on the rocket that freed itself from the wall, "Hammer!"

Immediately Vita struck true with her massive hammer in the same spot that she had previously struck. The sheer brute force was enough to shred the rocket in half, separating from the engine while the main body was thrown into the wall across like a baseball hit on a line-drive.

Despite the apparent billing that the attack was complex, the Gigant Hammer spell was but a basic one used when Eisen was in said form. It was simple, but that was what gave it and Vita power. Like a berserker, the Knight of the Iron Hammer was at her strongest when the objective was simple.

When she needs to smash something, she will. If the target could not go down in one blow, something of a rarity, she would strike again. If her strategy worked the first time, she would repeat it. There was no need for her to get cute and clever like Nanoha, her former rival.

As both of her strikes landed true and the target still functioned, Vita rushed in swiftly to follow up with the final blow. No cartridges, spell incantations or anything fancy: she primed her massive mallet for one final strike.

"W-well…" for once in his extensive lifetime, Eggman could finally say that he felt fear; though also embarrassed to have it from a schoolgirl, "Look at the time! I must be o-!"

Vita was upon him before he could even finish that sentence. The iron knight brought her hammer down upon the rocket once more. This time, finishing the job and creating a solid-sized explosion. It was only Eggman's last ditch effort to activate the eject sequence on his eggmobile that had saved him from being caught up in the wake of destruction, ironically caused by one little tyke with a hammer.

 **[Boss defeated]  
[Jingle: "Act Clear" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

"Alright!" Vita let herself cheer for her victory as she held her hammer over the shoulder, glancing down at her captive audience.

If she was looking for amazement, she would not have been disappointed, as aside from the stoic Signum, everyone else had various levels of shock on their faces; from the blatant near-horror of Nanoha and Alicia, to the subtle timidness of Fate, plus a grumpy Sonic to take the cake.

"I…." gulped Alicia, "I was not ready for today."

"I don't think any of us were…" Fate added, "Except for Signum…"

"Did… did she really…" Nanoha let in a little bit more exasperation into her tone, "Have to go that overboard?!"

"Uh..." Sonic, somewhat bluntly, pointed out, "This coming from the girl who obliterated a machine in the last zone?"

"If I'm not mistaken, this is what the youth of this age call: 'Getting Wrecked'." Signum noted, neutrally. sending a look at the iron knight, "Though she is enjoying this victory far too much."

"Hehe~!" The iron knight descended to the ground, "How'd you like that?!"

"Showoff..." groaned Sonic, "I could've done that,"

Before the iron knight could get too far ahead of herself, Signum corrected her with a solid blow to the forehead. A comically large, steamy bump had been left where the woman had struck.

"OW! That hurt!" Vita rubbed the lump in annoyance, "What the hell, demon tits?!"

"You were getting carried away," Signum held her fist up, likely to signify that she was not below striking again if she had to, "I should not have to remind you that we still have a mission to complete."

"Yeah, yeah..." The chibi-knight shrugged, "I know, I know."

"Our next zone is called Stardust Speedway," Alicia seemed to have recovered from her stupor enough to inform the party of their next objective point, "After that is Mustached Baldy's place."

With that, the mages, knights and hedgehog pressed on into the next zone. Little did they know of the dangers that lay ahead.

* * *

 **[Never Lake: Little Planet]  
[Tidal Tempest: Act 0]  
[Testarossa Manor]  
[Time: Future]  
[No BGM]**

Deep in thought, Precia Testarossa found herself pacing through her lab. The progress of her daughters and their friends was well documented, though the woman could not bring herself to focus wholly upon it. Instead, her focus was on the words that were spoken to her by the little blue hedgehog.

"A life without regrets…" For the umpteenth time, the woman paced around a certain open door in her lab, "Can I really..."

Doubt sank into her depressed self as she continued to process the words spoken to her by the young hedgehog. She truly wanted to atone for her past with Fate, but she was unsure if she could. She had done so much harm, and yet…

"She still wanted to give me a chance…" Precia slammed her head against the door causing it to open. She had to cover her eyes as the flash of light from the room almost blinded her.

Seven different colored gemstones of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and cyan were contained in a glass chamber. The old woman approached the container and stared not just at the gemstones held within, but her reflection off the glassy container they were in.

"Look at me…" She mused to herself, humorlessly, "The great mage, Precia Testarossa, a genius researcher in her prime. A woman whose name was spoken of with pride by her own children. Is this what I have become? A shell of my former greatness?"

The Time Stones glimmered brightly within their cage. Precia had lost count of how long it had been since she sent Alicia out to fetch them. Admittedly, even she had little clue as to why she had requested for them in the first place. All that she knew was that they were connected to Little Planet, like the Jewel Seeds were to Al-Hazard. The stones, though vaunted as gems of power that could allow anyone to shape Little Planet's time in their image, were only gathering dust in the woman's lab.

"Alicia had told Fate to wear her status as my daughter with pride, but what have I done to deserve such?" Precia questioned her reflection, "Sit here on the sidelines? Wallow in the solitude that is but a disguised form of despair? Is this what a mother, let alone any mage should do, watching her daughters fight a madman with a robot fetish?"

Unconsciously, Precia shivered as her mind drew a parallel of Eggman to a former colleague that she had used to work with, back when she spearheaded Project Fate. This man, like Eggman, had also done an extensive dealing in machines and cybernetics, borderline becoming obsessed with them. She was glad to have severed her ties with the man long before Fate was born, but even thinking about him brought her an unshakable ominous feeling.

Wordlessly, the woman called her device to her hand. It took the form of a priestly, angelic staff with a grayish-purple orb at the head, positioned in between a yellowish spiked crescent and a silver plate like an eye. Grasping the staff, the woman's attire changed into her Barrier Jacket. A one-piece, robe-like dress adorned to her body, leaving little to the imagination as her belly button, bare hips and healthy cleavage gap was on full display. The garb's color scheme was mainly purple and black with a few hints of golden yellow on the armbands and just above the chest. A long purple cloak flowed down her back, reaching just shy of the lower part of her shins.

"No…" Precia waved her hand across the gemstones in the container, making them disappear from sight, "This is not what I should do."

Swiftly, she had moved to store all of the data from her computers into her device in addition to backing them up on portable external hard drives. All of the necessary items that she had felt were needed, she had stored in containers that she teleported out. Her last stop was the life-pod that had formerly held her own daughter. She had kept it only because it was still operational, foregoing the sentimental attachment it might have held for her past self. Softly, she traced a finger along the cold glass, observing it and the machinery within.

"I hope to the higher power that I do not have need for you," The woman focused her power for but a moment, teleporting the pod away with a brief flash of purplish light, setting it to join the rest of the necessities that she had gathered, "But you are far too valuable to be left behind should I be able to escape this realm with everyone else."

The woman slowly walked towards the exit of her domain with deliberation in her stride. Her face had a look of pure determination. Eyes steeled in resolve, lips in a firm line to denote the level of seriousness. She had as much resolve as she could have mustered with the mental pep talk, but it was more than enough to get her moving.

"When you want to do something, do it right away," The hedgehog's words were echoed by Precia to herself in recollection, "Do it when you can, it's the only way to live a life without regrets."

Soon she had stepped out the door for the first time in what felt like a millennium. The mid-day sun threatened to blind her with its brilliance as it shone, but she was able to cover her eyes. A topographic map was produced in her left hand, displaying the current location of her two daughters and their comrades as just entering the sixth zone.

"Five down, two to go, I see…" The woman allowed a smirk of pride to grace her lips, "Quite fast, much as I expected from the two whom I trained; though their comrades are also quite capable…"

Within an instant, the woman had begun to float in the air and had taken to the skies; her flight speed was low, but that could have been attributed to her lack of practice. She kept an eye on the map to her side as she began to soar in the general direction that her heroes had previously taken.

"I have been a spectator for far too long; now it is time for me to clear myself of my regrets, and do what I should have done a long time ago." Precia said finally, "Stay alive and strong, Fate and Alicia, your mother is on her way..."

Five zones were cleared so far in the liberation efforts taken by Sonic the Hedgehog, the Wolkenritter, Alicia and the two Bureau contract mages, Nanoha and Fate, but there were still two more to go. Nobody knows what other tricks and traps that Doctor Eggman had set out in waiting. As if the complexities were not enough, Precia Testarossa seemed to have decided on the move she should make. As Little Planet flies, the adventure had was slowly starting to reach its end.

 **[Ending: "Mi-Ra-I" Run & Gun, Sonic X]  
[End of Chapter 7]**

* * *

Author's Notes: A reunion bit here that I hoped I played out well in the portrayal. The feels of this chapter was massive. Admittedly, some of the humor might have been intentionally overplayed to balance it out. But yeah, a ton of stuff happened. We get to see Nanoha and Vita take their turns of soloin the Eggman, which picturing the doc getting his crap wrecked by a bunch of grade schoolers will be a funny sight to remember for a long time. At any rate, Precia has made her move and so has the Bureau apparently. Stay tuned for more


	8. Chapter 8

SonicANIME2010 here, bringing in the Finale to the Little Planet arc… well, this is it. the last of the first real arc of the story, I'd like to hear thoughts on it and how I'm doing. After this chapter, I will give at least one or two chapters of a breather "arc" for slice of life and fallout from the stuff happening here. I don't own anything. And let's do it!

"Say  
 _"Telepathy"  
'Thought'  
_ _ **"Device"**_

* * *

 **[Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth"]  
[Never Lake: Little Planet]  
[Stardust Speedway: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]**

 **[BGM: "Stardust Speedway ~G" Sonic CD (JP/EU)**

A beautiful cathedral overlooked the massive, futuristic amusement park themed zone. Colors of light-pink and green dominated the landscape as the region sat upon a bay with bright cities visible in the distance. Though devoid of any signs of life within the last probable half-century or so, the cityscape in the backdrop still held a majestic, awe-inspiring splendor for the eyes to behold.

If there was any blemish to the wondrous sight, it was the appearance of a race course, constructed somewhat poorly as if rushed. Sharp curves, turns and vertical loops all aplenty, but they were inconsistently spaced, aside from a string of consecutive hair-point turns close to the end. Those were the only normal obstacles one might find in a race track.

Doctor Eggman flew around the starting point of the course in his Egg-mobile. The man, oddly enough, had changed his usual outfit to a red and yellow themed jumpsuit more suited for racing; likely to go with the obvious theme he was milking. The sight was so horrendous, it made Sonic take a mental note to ask Shamal if brain bleach was a healthy means of forgetting something that you really wish to unsee.

The hedgehog's friends were not too far behind on that sentiment, even Signum felt somewhat repulsed, though one would have a hard time noticing it given her stoic expression. Mortifying mental imagery was forcibly shoved aside as the mages hovered over the starting point.

"Welcome, one and all!" Eggman announced after inexplicably producing a microphone from his Egg-mobile, "Welcome to the Mach Speed Showdown on Rainbow Road!"

"Uh, Eggman-san," Nanoha cut in, "Wrong game."

"Wait, what?" The doctor sent a looked over at the mages, "What do you mean?"

"This zone is called "Stardust Speedway"," Alicia added, "So it should be the Mach Speed Showdown on Stardust Speedway."

"Huh…" Eggman stroked his mustache, "Now where did I get that name from?"

From the ground, Sonic watched the exchange with an almost impatient tapping of his foot. It was bad enough that he had to deal with an obviously gimmicky fight of sorts with yet another of Eggman's robots, but a race?

Next to the hedgehog was a robot, created in his very image, though with a few differences. Its body was made of a metal that was but a few shades of blue off of matching Sonic and it had only half of the amount of head spikes. A yellow circular depression was featured on its chest with a black center, obviously attempting to resemble everything about the hedgehog. The metal hedgehog's head looked almost pristine, if not for the lone blemish of a comically sizable mark left behind by a hammer.

"Why do I have to race again? Moreover…" The hedgehog turned to face his metallic counterpart, "Tell this rusty doppelganger to stop mimicking me!"

"Why, Sonic, you should know why we are having this race." Eggman's tone was condescending, arrogant, "Considering what's at stake here."

With a grin, the doctor powered up a holographic projector, displaying Amy Rose. The pink hedgehog had chains wrapped around her body, tying her to a lamppost at the finish line. Several egg-shaped robots had their guns pointed at her head. The laser pointers were primed specifically on her forehead

"Great…" Sonic sighed in resignation as he slowly got himself into a ready position to start the race, "No choice then."

"Of course, you could save her now if you tell me where the Time Stones are." noted the mad scientist.

"Are you still going on about those?" asked Alicia, "I told you that we don't know."

"And I don't believe you. Are we going to have this race or not?" Eggman almost roared, "Because my new enforcer, Hyper Metal Sonic, is just dying to see how he'd fare against the real deal."

The robot across from Sonic waved its finger to confirm the reference made by the doctor. Its eyes, flickering between green and red at random intervals, stared into the emerald green orbs of its original's.

"Alright, let's do it." Sonic relented.

"I knew you'd come to see things my way." Eggman smirked as he pressed a few keys on his Egg-Mobile keyboard, "Then let's start the show!"

Both hedgehogs, mechanical and organic, took positions at the starting gate. Knees and arms were bent and feet were placed firmly on the ground. A series of lights lit up on the top of the gate, not unlike those of a stoplight or signal light.

"Three," Eggman held up a gun in his right hand.

Sonic's arms stiffened and flexed as his knees bent as far as he needed them to. His gloved hands planted themselves firmly onto the ground for balance. Metal Sonic did the same, whether it was to mimic the organic counterpart or something else could not be seen. Like the real hedgehog, the metallic one was ready to go.

"Two…" Eggman counted, "One…."

Both racers arched their back slightly as the race was about to begin.

"GO!"

The gates opened to signify the start of the race as Metal Sonic's tail thruster began to activate. Before anyone could react, the metallic hedgehog launched off with a burst of speed and smoke comparative to a drag race car.

Soot and smoke covered Sonic's face, forcing him to cough and shake it off his head at a cost of some time. He stood there for a few moments, wearing a flat-lined expression on his face; though that soon faded into a small smirk as he uttered but a few words.

"Of course, you realize this means war."

* * *

 **[OP: "Eternal Blaze" Mizuki Nana]**

 **Sonic the Hedgehog: Wind of the Night Sky  
Chapter 8  
Little Planet Final Phase: A simple choice for a drastic outcome (Part 2)**

* * *

 **-Several Minutes Earlier-  
[Stardust Speedway: Act 1]  
[Time: Past]  
[BGM: "Stardust Speedway Act 1" Sonic Mania OST]**

The heroes found themselves on a highway overlooking a city holding the form reminiscent of ancient Greece or Rome, complete with an acropolis with a few towns surrounding it. The ancient themed city overlooked a lake. As they were in the zone furthest away from the sun, the night sky was dark, illuminated with only the traces of fireflies. The road was lush with vegetation and vines while ancient pillars littered the path.

While they would have normally started each round in the present timeline, it was by Alicia's request that things start different from the norm. Her reasoning was that it would make a more seamless, fluid transition when travelling through time. In addition, they could save their strength when utilizing the time posts if they just took it one time-zone at a time.

From what could be seen, the Speedway zone had definitely earned its name. The roads had long straightaways, curves, turns and vertical loops with no end in sight. Pathways were compacted together to form high-speed tubes that were just narrow enough to support someone of Signum's height, though they would have to mind their head while travelling. Networks were formed of the intersecting tubes, creating a variety of different pathways or routes to take, though also making it easier to get lost.

"This is Stardust Speedway." Alicia stated as she gestured to the zone, "As you can see, this is the fastest zone on Little Planet."

"It kinda looks like a race course," observed Sonic, pointing out some of the curves and loops that appeared to be strategically placed, "If you look past all of the overgrowth."

"How the heck are we going to be able to get through here?" Vita blurted out with a tone mixed of confusion and frustration, "Not all of us are speed freaks and we still have to take out those objective thingies!"

"I know this area like the back of my hand," boasted the small blonde, "I can guide you through, the only issue is finding the teleporter. Like I said before, this is one of the fastest zones, so it will be easy to overshot anything important."

The confidence of Alicia Testarossa was well-founded as she effectively guided her party through the first stretch of high-speed tubes. A cart was placed at the beginning of each tube that was big enough to hold the whole party with Sonic pushing to provide the speed. Alicia had taken charge of the steering and would send a signal to the hedgehog if they needed to pump on the brakes.

Once the tubes were out of the way, the robots had presented themselves as a threat. The bug theme that was prevalent through the previous zones was once again seen in the speedway. Among the notable types were the Dango, a pill bug shaped robot that would roll up into a ball for defense. Their defenses when rolled up were strong enough to withstand a spin attack from Sonic, but doing so exposed its main body for an attack.

The other type of mech that generated trouble for the heroes were the Hotaru, a firefly shaped robot. These robots had made their presence known by flying through the air, firing beams of burning energy at the party, and they had been able to strategically hide their presence until the point of attack. Fortunately, they were vulnerable when striking, and Vita was able to make short work of them with her Schwalbefliegen (Swallow Flight) spell, one of her few guided shooting spells.

Much like the previous zone, the robot teleporter and projection devices were both located relatively close to one another, though both were in a cove that the party had to correctly navigate through the tubes to get to the area. There was little issue with Sonic's speed or Alicia's steering, the delay in locating the devices were due to how complex the high-speed tube network was. The timing of the turn had to be just right or else they would have skipped the turn and be sent flying in another direction entirely.

With the safety of the zone ensured, it soon came time to make their jump through time, the only complication in that was finding the appropriate sign. That complication was magnified as it meant navigating through the complex network of tubes. If nothing else, the detour allowed Sonic to pick up some useful knowledge on the terrain which made for an easier adjustment. In one of the less orthodox ways of doing so, compared to the previous methods of brute force, the party simply utilized the speed at which they were travelling to act as the power for the time warp to activate.

* * *

 **[Stardust Speedway: Act 2]  
[Time: Present]  
[BGM: "Stardust Speedway Act 2" Sonic Mania OST]**

From the Greek or Roman acropolis to a modern city almost at the pinnacle of technological prime, the transition of time had brought almost a shock to all but Alicia, who was used to it. The highway itself had also undergone a significant change in aesthetics; what were once lush plant life and vegetation overgrowing the roads were now replaced by musical instruments, giving it more of the feel of an amusement park; though it was hardly a demerit to the aesthetic appeal.

The night sky was far brighter not only due to the abundance of technology when compared to the previous timeline, but also the spotlights that randomly moved back and forth to illuminate the road. There was but one blemish to the beauty of the zone, but it was a major demerit. A complete eyesore and an insult to anyone with even a sense of taste for beauty. It was such a disgrace to the eyes, that Sonic had only one guess as to who started it.

"Really, Eggman?" The hedgehog had an unimpressed mug to his face as he gawked openly, "What the crap?!"

In the near middle of the zone was a construction site that had Eggman's name practically written all over. A statue bearing his very unsightly image was in the process of being made. Every detail from the man's egg-shaped figure to his pointy mustache was on display. The statue, when finished, would have depicted the man standing tall and proud in his glory, his arms folded behind his back and spotlights shining on him.

"For the record, that was not here yesterday." Alicia was quick to point out, "Originally, it was a church and archive."

"Looks like he put alot of hard work into it considering how fast he got this set up." said Sonic, turning towards Vita, "It would be a total shame if someone were to tear it all down, right?"

"Yeah," replied Vita, hefting her hammer over the shoulder, "A real shame."

A cart bearing the design of a trumpet waited for the party at the entrance to the network of tubes. With Alicia steering and Sonic providing the speed, most of the course had passed by in a blur of flashing lights. Unlike the previous zones, there were few robots to deal with in the present timeline. Signum speculated that it was due to the close proximity to the mad scientist's base while Vita opined that it was to cover the construction zone.

The network ended once they reached the site of the construction. As the construction robots were not built for combat, they had to receive cover fire from the robots from above and it was the Hotaru who were designated as the cover due to their lasers.

While Sonic and Vita focused their efforts on dismantling the statue and the robots that were building it, Signum had shifted Laevatein to Schlangeform and loaded a cartridge to provide protection from the aerial firefly robots. The secondary form of her device a mixture of a connected blade and a whip where pieces of her blade were connected by a moveable chain that could extend to assault or trap opponents like a whip. Loading a cartridge added a flame effect to the whip for a boost of attack power which, given the weak design of the firefly robots, outright destroyed most of them in one or two swings.

The whole process took around five minutes and Vita had to use a cartridge boost for good measure, but at the end of it all, there was nothing left. Not a trace of the statue, the robots or the construction site had been left once the two had finished with their work. While the hedgehog and girl shared a high-five and a grin, the others watching had different comments.

"They went overboard again." Nanoha commented.

"At least they got the job done." noted Fate.

"And I don't have to look at that thing again," added Alicia.

"We should press on," Signum cut in, "We've lingered here too long."

With Signum's words came truthfulness as time had been spent on the necessary detour. Fortunately, the closest future time plate was a few yards away and the did not have to navigate through the tubes once more, much to a certain hedgehog's disappointment. Like in the previous timeline, the straightforward method of blazing through with blistering speed had worked its magic and sent them off to the future, where the mad Eggman waited.

* * *

 **[Dimensional Space]  
[Time-Space Administration Bureau Space Headquarters]  
[Office of Director Midget Crowbel]  
[No BGM]**

Attentively, Lindy and Leti watched as their director pulled several still images and recordings that backed up Lindy's reports of the last two incidents that had occurred on Earth. As she watched, the teal-haired admiral could not help but wonder what her director had planned.

"Officially," Crowbel began, "Earth is non-administered, it would be improper, nigh unethical for us to be conducting any real business on the planet, but we can still monitor the planet and act unofficially, so long as we don't break our cover and out ourselves to the local government."

"How do we go about that?" asked Lindy

"That is where my little project comes into play," The director responded, "Codenamed: Project 97."

The older woman typed a few things on her computer which brought up a simulation program that included a map of the dimensional space sector where Earth was located. An icon of a spaceship, labeled "Arthra", was present with a scaled distance just close enough to be in range of a dimensional transfer to be set up between the planet and vessel.

"This is will be a covert infiltration operation that you, Harlaown, will take charge of," The old woman explained, "We'll make sure to have your ship be fitted with some additional installments to make it invisible to most forms of detection, aside from sight."

"A covert operation?" questioned Lindy, "Why?"

"Though it is true that the last two major incidents happening on that planet were not originally started there, it was where they ended and it brought to our attention a very simple fact that the planet is not as non-magical as we had first thought." Crowbel explained, "Aside from the current Mistress of the Night Sky living there, we've also confirmed an interesting presence that provided some unexpected help in resolving the Book of Darkness."

"You're referring to the blue hedgehog, the other wild card in that incident," noted Harlaown, "Sonic the Hedgehog."

As soon as the admiral had said the hedgehog's name, Crowbel nodded and pulled up the recordings from the hedgehog's first encounter with the Lieze and his efforts in the NachtWal battle. Several things had become notable to the three women as they watched. The hedgehog's speed had well exceeded Mach 1in several instances during both battles and his power was something of a major note as well, but neither of those were what the old director had in mind when she brought his reference up.

The instances where Sonic had used his rings and absorbed their power were those that Crowbel had paused the videos on. Readings of his power output before and after each absorption were put on display, indicating that it would rise from A to S- in a matter of seconds.

"These items that the hedgehog used appear to be boosters of some kind." Crowbel said, "I want to know what they are, how they work, and if we can duplicate them."

"Doing so could be a boon for our forces." Leti noted, "If not to the degree our blue friend has, but close to the Belkan cartridges."

"Indeed, Lowran," nodded the director, turning to face the one who had spoken, "Also, I have a task for you regarding this project."

"Ma'am?" questioned the purple-haired woman.

"Given your position in Resource Management, I would like you to handle the logistics of this operation." requested the director, "Make sure that Harlaown is well supported with resources and a quality support staff."

"Understood," Leti nodded firmly, "I will do what I can."

"Use any resources to your discretion, but to no excess. The fewer that know of this the better." the woman motioned for Lowran to stand up, "Dismissed."

Admiral Lowran saluted to the other two present as she departed the office to work on her new orders. Only Lindy Harlaown and Midget Crowbel left in the office. The debriefing appeared to have concluded, but it left the younger of the two with a few questions to answer.

"What of the ones on Earth?" the young admiral asked, "What am I to tell them?"

"As much as you feel that they will understand. I doubt they need to know the specifics of what we're doing. So long as the Mistress of the Night Sky and her knights see this as an opportunity for redemption of their actions..." Crowbel replied, "There is one other thing I would like for you to find out."

"Yes?" Lindy questioned.

"This new mastermind on Earth that you are apparently dealing with in this incident that you mentioned." said firmly, "I want to know what he is, how much of a threat he poses and if we should step in and stop him."

"If what the local reports indicate on the planet, he is quite formidable," the other woman replied, "But I will see to it that we find out all that we can."

"Good," the director nodded, "You are dismissed."

"Ma'am." Lindy saluted once before departing.

The older woman sighed as she watched the last of her guests depart before turning to face the screen behind her. Images and videos that she had put on display rolled through her mind, making her contemplate on the events that had unfolded leading her to make this decision. There was so much at stake and one false move would be costly.

"Well, this should be interesting."

* * *

 **[Non-Administrated Planet #97 "Earth"]  
[Uminari City, Japan]  
[Residential: Yagami]  
[No BGM]**

Arf waited almost impatiently from the dining room as Amy came out of the guest bedroom from whence she had the report with the enforcer. Though by accident due to her enhanced hearing, the wolfwoman was able to pick up on some bits of the conversation and the scandalous speculation that had been brought up. She did not like it, but once the cogs spun in her head, everything started to make sense.

"Sorry about that," Amy spoke to Hayate as she sat down, "Chrono-kun wanted a progress report."

"It's okay," nodded Hayate, gesturing to Arf, "Though I think you have someone about to go crazy here."

"Oh, crap" Arf could see the teen's eyes widen as the girl gulped, "You heard some of that."

The wolfwoman nodded but said nothing more. Her eyes were firmly locked on the front door as her mind was made up. If Fate was not back then she could still be in trouble, and even though it was but pure speculation, Arf would not put it past the old woman to suddenly make an appearance in Fate's life once more.

' _Just when Fate was starting to get over her too.'_ the wolf let out a growl in thought.

"Ah, I think I can guess what you're thinking, but please calm down." Limietta's tone grew nervous, "After all, we haven't heard enough about this new party to say, let alone any form identification."

"I contacted Signum to see if she would provide any clues, but she could not give me straight answer." Reinforce noted as she sat down, "All she told me was that it was complicated."

Arf suddenly stood up, coming close to slamming her palm on the table. Frustration filled her emotion as her patience had reached its end and she would wait no longer. Damn the consequences, Fate needed her, whether she knew it or not.

"I'm going out there." She declared loudly, "I am Fate's familiar. I can't just sit here knowing that my master is out there potentially getting herself hurt."

"Ah…" Amy was taken by surprise, "Are you sure that's okay…"

"It's fine," Reinforce assured her, "With Zafira and Signum, we are plenty guarded here. If need be, I can also fight, though I would prefer not to."

"Alright…" sighed the teen, "You better hurry then."

The wolfwoman's smirk was wide as her confidence. Considering who her master was, speed was hardly an issue. With a clear head and determination steeled in her face, the familiar took to the skies and soared at a blistering speed towards her master. Little did she know that her race against time was not the only one that had commenced.

* * *

 **[Never Lake: Little Planet]  
[Stardust Speedway: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]**

 **-Race: Sonic the Hedgehog vs Hyper Metal Sonic Mk.001-  
[BGM: "Running in the 90s" Initial D]**

Two flashes of blue blurred through the first part of the long track as Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of South Island, raced swiftly to keep pace with his metallic counterpart and Eggman's newest enforcer. Though the latter had gotten off to a better start due to its explosive acceleration at the beginning, Sonic did not have to reach Mach 1 to catch up.

The reason for that, which became apparent to the blue hedgehog in the early goings, was that they both were holding back their top speed. Sonic was neither surprised nor bothered by that as he knew the course was long. While they were almost evenly matched on the speed factor, Sonic was able to notice a few things that differed between him and Metal in their application, creating distinct advantages and disadvantages between them.

In terms of pure acceleration, Metal had the edge as the robot was able to gain speed at an astonishing rate, giving it the advantage on the straights. At the same time, the robot would quickly lose speed on the turns which made cornering a weak point for the robot.

On the flipside, Sonic had great agility to compliment his high speed, he was able to drift and bank on the sharp curves with little to almost no loss of speed. His acceleration, while still solid, admittedly was not as great as his rivals, so the matchup was decidedly even.

From the skies above, the heated race was watched by Sonic's group, consisting of Nanoha, Vita and Alicia while Eggman was the lone support for Metal. Fate and Signum appeared to be acting as the referees as they were positioned between them.

Sonic let out a chuckle as somehow Alicia had produced a microphone and roped Nanoha into providing some commentary for their race.

"Both racers are off to a brilliant start today, they are nearly neck and neck with Metal Sonic having a slight lead." Alicia announced loudly, "But Sonic got a great boost off that last turn and boy, does he have momentum."

"Uh, yeah," Nanoha added, "He does…"

At about 20% through the race came the first big obstacle in the form of a vertical loop that was followed by a stretch of three consecutive sharp turns. The difficulty that the upcoming obstacles had presented came in the form of speed management and control.

Both racers chose that moment to up their game. Metal Sonic went into the loop first, using its propulsion to scale the uphill part and ride the momentum on the downhill part, though it had to decelerate to avoid crashing onto the ground before heading on towards the turns.

As for Sonic, his approach was slightly different. He ran up the vertical loop and curled up into his spin form at the apex and rolled down. He then took the momentum from the previous portion and practically glided through the stretch of turns, putting him just five inches behind his metallic rival.

"Whoa! Amazing!" Alicia gawked as she commentated, "Did you see what he did there? He rolled up into a ball."

"Yeah, that's what he normally does," Nanoha, somewhat awkwardly, added.

Sonic and Metal continued to keep their current pace as they trekked through the track. While the metal hedgehog turned up the rocket boosters for more speed, Sonic had countered by running his feet in a circular figure-8 pattern. Turn after turn, both hedgehogs were neck and neck.

As Sonic ran, he could see the lights around him dim as a large shadow reminiscent of the Egg-Mobile descended upon him.

"Heh, let's add some drama to this race." Sonic could hear the maniacal laughter of Eggman from above as a burst of light shone dangerously upon him, "Egg Laser, ready! FI-"

" _ **Schlangeform!"**_ Laevatein's voice cut in as a cartridge was loaded.

"Kōryū! (Luminous Dragon)" Signum's voice soon followed.

A fiery bladed whip slammed into the Egg-Mobile, wrapping around the vehicle and constraining it. The fire incinerated the laser cannon installed on the bottom completely.

"Thank you!" Sonic gave the swordswoman a thumbs-up as he sped on ahead.

"Hey! What the heck?!" roared the mad scientist, "How dare you inter-"

"Be silent!" the pink-haired woman silenced the man with her Signum Glare™, "This is your only warning. Interfere again and this farce will end!"

"Y-yes, ma'am" Eggman reflexively gulped and nodded vigorously.

"Signum-san is scary…" Nanoha commented, idly sympathizing with the doctor for once.

With the possibility of interference from the sidelines quashed outright, the race continued as Sonic easily caught up with his counterpart once again. Metal Sonic kept the lead through the first 40% of the race, but Sonic was right on his tail.

"This next stretch of the race is presented by H2O. Stay hydrated, stay healthy," Alicia commented somewhat randomly, "H2O, drink it!"

"Alicia-chan…" Nanoha countered, "That's water."

"Oh," giggled the small blonde, "I knew that, I was just testing you."

The halfway point of the course had taken the form of a tricky stretch of consecutive vertical loops filled by four sharp turns in a row. The sight made Sonic grin in anticipation.

Given the robot's weakness for cornering, it was little surprise that Metal had taken the obstacles incredibly slow and that allowed Sonic to close the gap until he was less than a foot behind. Little did he know that his rival had a nasty surprise in store for him.

As they were about to enter the last of the turns, Metal Sonic abruptly ceased its acceleration and emitted a harsh electrical field from its body. Sonic had to jump high and far in order to avoid getting electrocuted. On the plus side, he was able to take the lead. Metal Sonic's dirty offensive trick had seemed to backfire on the robot, but Sonic had a feeling that there was more in store.

"Well…" Alicia commented awkwardly, "At least Sonic has the lead now."

"Mhmm..." Nanoha nodded, "Oh, also, if you're hungry after school or need a quick bite on your way to class. Stop by the Midori-ya cafe, great service, great food. Why not stop in after the race?"

"Hey, that's my job!" the smaller blonde sent a scandalized look at her counterpart, "Also, what's Midori-ya?"

"My family's cafe." replied the girl with a smile

"I like you" Alicia grinned in return.

"Oi!" shouted Vita, "Cut the chatter!"

60% through the race and Sonic had a significant lead, his speed had jumped up once he had taken the lead as he looked to make a statement with his speed. His pace picked up more as he entered the longest straight in the course. For a moment he had looked back to see what Metal Sonic was up to, and he wished that he had not.

Metal Sonic began to overload his circuitry as sparks emitted from his body. A destructive energy field formed around the robot's body as it leaned forward. The rocket booster supercharged and made an explosive launch that sent the robot in a head first charge for the organic counterpart. Sonic had let out a yelp as he leaped to get out of the way, prioritizing safety over his lead position.

"Whoa!" Sonic shouted, "I was almost dinner."

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Eggman laughed loudly, "Metal Sonic pulled out the trump card, Egg-cellent!"

"Wait a minute!" Alicia let out a laugh, "Did he just…"

"Yeah," Nanoha nodded rapidly, "He did."

Meanwhile, Sonic could not stop the grin on his face from growing as he pulled out one of the rings Reinforce had given him. If Metal was going to pull out all of the stops then so shall he. His acceleration started to pick up as he gripped the ring in hand, absorbing its power.

 **[BGM: "Max Power" Initial D]**

The results could be felt immediately as a burst of wind and power surged through Sonic's body. Curling up into his spin-form, he paused for a second to rev up before launching off in an explosive burst of speed. Sonic booms reverberated through the air as the sound barrier was absolutely shattered. What was more, the speed had not impacted the hedgehog's agility, allowing him to drift the corners with minimal speed loss and powerful acceleration on the exit.

He not only caught up to the metallic imposter, Sonic blazed past him and took the lead. Like a ball on the track, Sonic rolled through the remainder of the curves and loops, barely losing any speed as he took to each obstacle. The hedgehog moved so fast he was almost a blur those who were watching.

"So incredible!" gawked Alicia, "Are you still seeing this?"

"Nope," Nanoha shook her head, blinking rapidly, "Totally lost."

"Oh finally, he pulls out that trick." huffed Vita, "I thought he forgot that he had those."

Metal Sonic had also taken to a late push approach, the robot supercharging its circuitry to the very limit that it could go. The electrical field enveloped its body as the thrusters activated to full power, driving it into a dead run of a final sprint. Sadly, there was one advantage that the real Sonic had from the fake copy, the speed of sound. While Metal could not even dent the barrier with its speed, Sonic had shattered it, leaving the robot to eat his dust.

True to his speed, Sonic had passed the finish line first, watching as Metal came up on his tail less than ten seconds later. Amusingly, Sonic was treated to the satisfying sight of his metallic imposter slamming into the hard girder that served as a post for the finish line, breaking down into a smoldering mess in a matter of seconds.

* * *

 **-Winner: Sonic the Hedgehog-  
[Jingle: "Act Clear" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

The blue hedgehog triumphantly went into his usual victory pose in the celebration of his victory, briefly forgetting about the supposed prize for winning the race for the moment. Once his celebration was finished, Sonic turned his focus on the pink hedgehog and the robots that had held her captive. He was about to do something with them when the others arrived; most of them, aside from Signum, looked quite gob-smacked.

"Inconceivable!" Eggman slammed his egg-mobile in frustration.

"Eggman-san," Nanoha pointed out, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."

"Well of course I know what it means!" The doctor countered, "You think that I don't?"

"At any rate…" Signum cleared her throat, "We have won your game, it is time for you to uphold your promise."

Eggman looked between the heroes, his hostage and the robots that had held her at gunpoint. He could have taken the high road and relinquished the prisoner as promised, but he was hesitant. A scheme soon formulated in his mind that sent the doctor into a fit of laughter.

"I don't think so," Eggman, brimming with confidence, declared, "I still have the upper hand in my hostage!"

"Hey!" Amy Rose shouted, "What the crap! Sonic won! You should release me! That's hostage protocol 101!"

"You intend to go back on your word then…." The swordswoman gripped the hilt of her blade,

"That's not nice," Nanoha added; the calculations running through her head as she readied her device for action.

"Well, duh! I'm like totally evil you know." Eggman's tone had become mocking and condescending, "Now if you try anything funny, it's light's out. Now are we going to have our talk?"

The tension between both parties grew as a stalemate formed. Neither side had been willing to give in. By rule of honor, Sonic's party was in the right as Eggman had lost, fair and square; it was up to him to own up to his word. However, the doctor had felt that by doing so would mean admitting that he was defeated, something that his pride could not allow. Time had gone into a complete standstill between both sides. Something would have to give to break the tension, the question was who would make the first move.

"Chain Bind!"

Suddenly, orange chains materialized out of the air and wrapped around each robot in succession, disarming them in the process. The chains began to move towards the point of origin, where a large orange-furred wolf stood in wait. As the robots were dragged, the wolf channeled another spell that generated yellowish-orange spheres of electrical energy.

"Photon Lancer," the wolf growled, displaying her razor-sharp hackles and canines, "Multishot!"

In a consecutive order, the photon spheres were fired off, each one that was fired was automatically restored to keep the constant stream of fire going. It did not take long before each robot had met with an untimely, unfortunate demise. There was barely even traces of scrap metal left behind when the onslaught of spellfire ended.

"W-what?" Eggman gaped at the sight of the ferocious newcomer, "Who the heck are you?"

"Someone you do not want to cross." a hot-blooded feminine voice growled as the wolf approached the scientist dangerously. She let out a loud roar that even sent shivers down Sonic's spine, "Now get out of here!"

Letting out something that almost sounded like a girly scream, Eggman made his departure from the zone. The distraction allowed Sonic to break Amy Rose from her position, leading to the pink hedgehog clinging to him for dear life as a result.

"Oh, Sonic!" Amy tried to keep herself from crying, "Thank you!"

"Uh, no problem." replied Sonic, awkwardly, "Amy Rose."

"Just call me, 'Amy'," the pink one said, "And I'm sorry for earlier."

"I'm not the only one you should apologize to," noted Sonic.

"Right…" sighed the pink girl.

Meanwhile, the wolf looked at the scene with suspicion, at least until her eyes met the burgundy red orbs of her master. In a drastic shift of mode and atmosphere, the wolf shapeshifted into a wolf-woman and tackled Fate in a tight hug.

"Fate!" The new arrival shouted in worry, as she pressed her poor master into her chest, "I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, Arf, really" Fate sputtered as she struggled to breathe in her familiar's bosom, "Can't breathe though."

"Oh, woops" the wolfwoman giggled as she released her master, "I'm sorry."

"Whoa, what a cute doggie!" gushed Alicia as she tried to stroke the new arrival's bushy tail, "Is she yours, Fate?!"

"I'm not a dog! I'm a wolf!" snapped the woman as she turned to face the smaller blonde, "Also, who the heck are you?"

"Ah, Arf, that's Alicia." Nanoha answered quickly, "What are you doing here? I thought you were at Hayate-chan's house."

"Eh?!" the wolfwoman was gob-smacked, "What the crap is going on here!?

"Ohh boy…" groaned Sonic, "Here we go."

* * *

 **[Eyecatch #1: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #15: Amy Rose]  
Name: Amy Rose  
Katakana: ****エミー・ローズ** **(Emī Rōzu)  
Gender: Female  
Age: 8  
Height: 65 cm  
Weight: 20 kg  
Color: Pink  
System: None  
Device: None  
Rank: B (Ground)**

 **[Eyecatch #2: Sonic: Wind of the Night Sky bio card #16: Precia]  
Name: Precia Testarossa  
Katakana: ****プレシア** **・** **テスタロッサ** **(Pureshia Tesutarossa)  
Gender: Female  
Age: 54  
Height: 165 cm  
Weight: 54 kg  
Color: Purple  
System: Mid-Childa  
Device: Unnamed  
Rank: SS (Conditional)***

* * *

 **[Metallic Madness: Act 1]  
[Time: Past]  
[BGM: "Metallic Madness ~P" Sonic CD]**

A lavender-hued construction site was what awaited the heroes in the first part of Eggman's base. All of the computers and buildings were functional and were strewn about the ceilings, girders and everywhere the mad scientist had been able to fit them.

The coming of the final zone marked that the end of the adventure was close at hand. Much like before, Alicia had opted to have her group start in the past to avoid having to backtrack and find signs corresponding to the desired time period. The only difference to the heroic party was that now it had the addition of Amy Rose and Arf, Fate's familiar.

Via telepathy, Fate had explained the situation as far as she could understand it, to her familiar as they walked. Needless to say, Arf did not take the news of Precia's return with happiness. She took Alicia's return well enough though, given how much the smaller girl had done for them in accepting Fate without a second thought. It helped that Alicia was as cute, likeable and energetic as Fate had remembered her to be.

Arf had also taken the time to explain her motives and reasoning for leaving her previous post to join the battles. From start to end, the adventure was taxing on Fate's emotions, and as her familiar, Arf had felt most of it, growing restless with worry. It came to the point where she could stand it no longer and, with permission, she took off to join the ranks of battle.

Needless to say, Fate was extremely guilty for having put Arf through such stress, but any attempts of apology were outright dismissed by the wolfwoman herself. It was her duty as Fate's familiar to protect her master from harm, and Arf had felt that she had been negligent in that duty.

While Arf was getting the unabridged version of the story, Sonic and Nanoha gave Amy Rose the more abridged version, leaving out any information regarding the Administration Bureau and anything they felt she need not know. Though they did tell her about operating the time plates.

"So, if I get this right, we are currently in the past of this zone," Amy Rose listed off the things she was confirmed, "We are taking out a teleportation device here to save it from Eggman's rule?"

"That's about it," Nanoha nodded, "Are you sure you can handle yourself properly?"

"I don't carry this for show," said Amy, hefting her piko-piko hammer on her shoulder, "I know how to take care of myself."

"Says the one who got kidnapped," countered Vita, hoisting her own hammer over her shoulder, "By the way, mine's bigger."

"Yeah, right!" Amy laughed, staring at the polo mallet, "There's no way yours is-."

" _ **Gigant"**_ Graf Eisen interrupted the hedgehog as it shifted to the desired form.

"Bigger…." the pink hedgehog rightly silenced herself, "You win."

Vita had reasons for utilizing the third form of Eisen other than for showing off. The whole zone was a factory for Eggman's forces, even if it was under construction in the past. The knight of the iron hammer was set to destroy the madman's forces outright and send a message. With the combination of Graf Eisen and Vita, the list of things they could not destroy could only be counted with one hand.

Eggman had pulled out all of the stops in his robot selection for the final zone and a majority of them presented a grand threat to the party in their gimmicks and abilities. The Poh-Bees, bots that resembled bees like their name, carried dual maces attached to the chains on their stingers, presenting a dangerous threat to those on the ground. The Mecha-Bu, beetle-like bots with razor wheels in front of their faces, often rushed the group in a kamikaze fashion.

While those two robot types had presented a major threat, it was the Bigboms, the large bomb-bots, that were most dangerous. The way they had operated was that once a foe was detected, it would walk towards them and then open up its chassis, spitting out a smaller version of itself. The process would repeat, much like Matryoshka dolls. What had the party scrambling for cover was that each robot would have the same blast radius of their self-destruct sequences, despite the smaller size, creating a chain of dangerous explosions that had Nanoha and Fate glad that they teamed up for a combined Multi-Defenser spell.

"Whoa!" Sonic yelped, "How the heck did those smaller things make the same explosions?!"

"He's really going all out," commented Nanoha.

"Doesn't matter!" shouted the iron knight, "We'll take them all down!"

The team fought their way through Eggman's factory and all of their skills were put to the test, from Signum's swordsmanship and Vita's strength to the magical prowess of Nanoha, Fate, Alicia and Arf. As for the hedgehog contingent, Sonic's speed and skill were well established already, but Amy Rose had proven herself to be anything but a liability to the group. While her skills with the hammer paled in comparison to Vita's centuries of mastery, the pink hedgehog had something of a second sight or sixth sense, likely stemming from her use of divination, that had allowed her to successfully predict where every robot and obstacle was and how to deal with them.

The only thing she could not locate through this method was the robot generator device, though the party found that one on their own. It was strategically well-placed, but it fell to Signum's blade in mere seconds. The destruction of the generator sent a chain reaction that destroyed every robot in the past, eliminating one issue to contend with.

"Ah, I see now." Arf nodded, "We should have an easy path to the final boss, right?"

"Not so fast," Sonic, ironically, said, "We're at Eggman's stronghold, he's probably got a few robots leftover in the present."

"If that's the case, why the crap did we destroy that thing?!" The wolfwoman asked the hedgehog, "Does it do anything?"

"Supposedly, yeah," shrugged Sonic, "It at least makes the place we fight him at look cooler. Though it's still basically putting lipstick on a pig."

"An ugly pig." muttered Arf.

Finding the time warp plate to the present was just as arduous a challenge as finding the teleporter in the first place. Death traps and spinning saws made progressing through the base difficult while the whole base was built like a labyrinth, making it difficult for anyone trying to find something important. Still, in the end, they were able to locate the plate and initiate the all-too-familiar time warp.

* * *

 **[Stardust Speedway: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[No BGM]**

After taking a few moments at the cathedral in the zone to recollect her thoughts, Precia continued on her flight towards where her daughters were. She found herself stopping, however, when she caught sight of the downed Metal Sonic. Taking caution, the woman took cover behind a wall and observed from afar.

The metallic hedgehog's eyes flickered to life briefly as the robot stood up. A signal must have come in from its master, registering in the form of several beeps and whirrs that echoed from the robot's body. A large hologram flickered to life before the robot, revealing to Precia the face of her true enemy.

"Good thing I installed a fake death command in you, Metal Sonic, but I confess I used it far too late," The doctor's voice sounded almost remorseful, but Precia could tell that it was hardly such, "Now I know that you're not in the best of shape, but I need you back at the base. You see, our interlopers have taken out a majority of my forces and crippled my actions here.

"My last signal should have given you enough of a power boost to get back here before the others do. I programmed the shortest route back to me in your mainframe" Eggman spoke as the hologram started to fade, "Use it and get here as fast as you can, that's an order."

Metal Sonic nodded its head as the hologram cut off. Sparks flowed through the robot's body, charging its circuitry to an acceptable level of function. With the desired route programmed into it, the metallic hedgehog launched off with a great burst of speed.

' _Such pitiful planning, issuing commands to your forces in the open field, uncaring of the possibility of eavesdroppers,'_ Precia shook her head in thought, _'Still, I can use this to my advantage if I keep tailing it.'_

The old woman exited her cover and took off in flight to tail the hedgehog. She planned to follow the robot as far into the stronghold as she could for the moment until she saw cause to eliminate it.

* * *

 **[Metallic Madness: Act 2]  
[Time: Present]  
[BGM: "Metallic Madness Zone Act 2" Sonic Mania]**

Doctor Eggman's rule of this zone was absolute and made obvious as the party jumped through the time warp into a base, ruled by technology and machine. Turbines were built into the floors while death traps like moving buzz-saws, spinning bar cages and wheels with spinning blades had been strategically placed to disrupt any attempt of progress. Tints of green and purple generated a feeling of animosity and darkness as the hornet's nest was open.

"Scrap Brain eat your heart out," whistled Sonic, "Mustached Baldy really pulled out every trick in the book."

"Feh," Vita huffed, "It's all scrap metal in the end."

"Tread carefully," Signum advised.

There was a brief period of discomfort for Arf and Amy Rose, both who were unused to all of the time-travelling. It was a wonder how either of them were able to keep their breakfast down. Both hedgehog and wolf were ready to go after they had their moment though.

"How are you used to this crap?" huffed out Arf.

"You get used to it after a while," replied Fate, "Hang in there, Arf."

"Bleh…" sighed the wolfwoman.

Much like Sonic had predicted, the destruction of the generator in the past had done plenty to reduce the numbers of robots in the present, but it was not enough as Eggman still had the original robots from his initial invasion force. The assortment of robots came not only from the previous time period like the BigBom and Poh-Bee, but also the previous zone such as the Dango and Hotaru.

As Sonic and Amy were the only two units on the ground, they were the ones most affected by the death traps and gimmicks, but a combination of the former's speed and the latter's divining had allowed them both to navigate through them with relative ease. As for the aerial mages and knights, they had to contend with the swarm of robots that struck from the air.

It was an arduous and trying challenge, but the heroes managed to prevail and navigate their way to the Time Warp plate for the future. Vita's hammer slammed into it and caused yet another spin, but this time will be the last time. The last time warp for the future and the final showdown with Eggman.

* * *

 **[Metallic Madness: Act 3]  
[Time: Future]  
[BGM: "Metallic Madness ~G" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

Free of Doctor Eggman's influence, the technologically advanced complex was shown in a brighter light. Metallic floors and walls gained a sleek, clean look with a bright blue hue. Mechanical plants and fountains adorned several areas, giving the base an aesthetically pleasing look and feel. One would be forgiven for mistaking the complex for a shopping mall as it had the sprightly futuristic element to it. Despite all of that, the death traps were still present. The zone was still dangerous even if it looked more inviting.

Knowing that the final battle was up ahead, Alicia paused for a moment to reflect on all that has happened. The reunion with her clone, accepting her as a sister, the epic battles and all of the fun she had. It was truly an experience that she would never forget for the rest of her life. Still, there was something missing; a specific presence that she had privately longed for since the third zone. Tears started to flow from her eyes, dripping onto the cold ground beneath her feet.

"H-hey," She could feel the hand of the wolfwoman, Fate's familiar if she recalled, awkwardly placed on her shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"Mama..." Alicia could not bite back the sobbing noise in sadness, "Mama's not here..."

"Y-yeah..." Arf stuttered, "I guess she didn't show up."

Alicia was not a fool, she could feel how torn Fate's familiar was, and she knew why. Knowing the truth of her mother's actions and the harm they had caused in the past, she could understand why the wolfwoman was hesitant to say anything beyond that. The smaller blonde looked up at her sister's longest-trusted ally and forced a smile on her face.

"I-it's alright, though," Alicia said, "I'm sure that Mama will come around and at least see us off, I know that you didn't like her much, but she's not the same now as she used to be."

"Look, I know this is hard for you, I can see it in your eyes," the wolfwoman replied with a frown, "Fate wore that same expression too."

"To be expected of my imouto's familiar," sighed Alicia, "You were Fate's lone source of support and strength for a while."

"Yeah, until she met Nanoha," Arf nodded, "But my point is, you don't have to censor yourself on this. You and I have different feelings regarding your mother, but don't let that stop you from letting them out."

"I just…" hiccupped the small blonde in sadness and longing, "I want her here."

"Then she will come," Alicia knew that it pained the wolfwoman to say such, but she did so anyway, "If you want her here then she will come when you need her."

"Thanks..." a genuine smile found its way on Alicia's face, "I needed that."

It took all of Arf's willpower not to hug the little cutie there. Given the obvious resemblance between Fate and Alicia, the two had the tendency to share the same cuteness when they smiled.

With higher spirits, the group pressed on through the base. The deathtraps were prominent and present, but the impeccable timing provided by Amy had allowed them to traverse it all with ease. After the last set of traps, a set of Hotaru-type robots attempted to ambush them in a dark room with their lasers, bot Sonic made scrap metal of them with a well-timed spin attack.

Once that room was cleared, the party pressed on into the final room of the zone. It was wide with tall walls and high ceilings, giving the feeling that it was the absolute perfect place for an ambush or to host an all-or-nothing battle,

"Congratulations on making it this far," Eggman's voice echoed throughout the room, "Though I'm sorry to say that this is the end of the line for you."

 **-VS Boss: Final Fever-  
[BGM: "Final Fever" Sonic CD (JP/EU)]**

The doctor dropped down before the party in his final machine, a devastating mechanism containing four rotating multi-purpose blades. Each blade looked sharp and demonstrating its cutting power by shearing through the metallic walls in the room. As if to make matters worse, the blades were able to rotate all the way around the mech, making sure it had a full range of motion, keeping the party from trying any attacks.

"Wow, you've outdone yourself this time," complimented Sonic.

"Oh, I have more up my sleeve than this…" Eggman pressed a button on his console, "Behold!"

Rockets began to fire from the back of the machine in a vast volley, presenting a danger to both aerial and grounded heroes. Mindful of the blades, the group had to disperse, into separate groups. Unfortunately, it also left Fate and Alicia in what was called "No-Man's Land".

"Oh ho, my first phase of the plan worked, divide and counter," Eggman set his sights on the separated duo, "Now for phase two…"

Grinning, the doctor maneuvered his machine in a head-first charge for the two blondes, bringing his blades upon them in a dangerous manner that left them with no room to dodge. Fortunately, their barrier spells had managed to stave off the assault of blades and pushed them back, but the spell work was sheared through in the process, leaving them both defenseless and with nowhere to go.

A volley of spellfire from Nanoha, though physically ineffective, suddenly jolted the doctor's attention towards the rest of the party. They had managed to group up after the initial assault, but due to theirs and Eggman's positioning, were cut off from the two blondes.

"Don't forget about us!" Arf shouted in her wolf form, "Photon Lancer: Multishot!"

The wolf's bolts were fired off in succession like before, only this time, the heavy armor of the mad scientist's machine had neutralized them outright. Enraged, Arf fired off another volley, but to the same result.

"Now, now, wait for your turn. In the meantime, I think I will let my top enforcer deal with you. I think it wants payback!" Eggman pressed a few buttons on his console, "Oh~ Hyper Metal Sonic! Come out and play with your toys."

Silence fell upon the room for what felt like minutes as the doctor's call had went unanswered. Anxiously, he tried again, but had the same result. A feeling of awkwardness mixed with foreboding fell upon the doctor, and Sonic was the first to notice that his enemy's plan had more than a slight flaw to it.

"Yo, Eggman, is something wrong?" smirked the blue hedgehog, "Because I thought for sure that you were going to call out your top enforcer."

"H-he must be delayed! No matter…" Eggman's sights locked upon the two blondes whom he still had trapped, "I can still eliminate these two interlopers."

With a press of a button, the doctor fired off a volley of missiles at Alicia and Fate. Both girls clung to each other as they threw out shield spells, one after another, desperately trying to stave off the assault, but each spell was shattered by the volley, and with each shattering came the sense of fear and helplessness.

"Fate-chan! Alicia-chan!" shouted Nanoha.

"Fate!" shouted Arf at almost the same time.

"Hehe~!" The doctor grinned, "Say goodby-!"

Premature detonations interrupted the doctor as the final volley of missiles met with an array of multiple hexagonal shaped barriers, each one bearing a purplish color to them. The wall off to the side where the heroes had entered suddenly exploded in debris as what appeared to be Metal Sonic's head came flying out from the impact.

"Huh?!" Eggman turned off his mechanism, and looked at the head of his enforcer and the new hole in the wall in shock, "Now what!"

A tall silhouette exited from the smoky hole, heeled steps could be heard on the metallic ground as an old woman, all too familiar to everyone aside from Amy Rose, walked into the room, heading straight for the cornered blonde-haired girls.

"W-who…" Eggman shouted, "Who the heck are you!?"

The woman ignored the man as she walked right past him, her foot idly crushing the head of what was once Metal Sonic in the process. She only stopped moving once she was at an arms-length distance away from the two girls.

"Mama!" Exclaimed Alicia in part shock and relief

"Kaa-san!" added Fate equally, though an underlying note of fear was present in her tone.

' _Oh great…'_ groaned Arf in thought, _'Her!'_

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Alicia, Fate." Precia kneeled before the two so she could be at eye-level with them both, "It took some time, but I am here now."

"I knew you'd come around at some point," smiled Alicia in a genuine manner, "You just had to."

"Kaa-san…" Fate spoke up, "I-..."

"We will talk later, Fate…" The woman stood up and turned to face the current threat to her children, "But for now…"

Eggman slammed his console as he started up the mechanism again. The blades spun rapidly, creating a whole-field barrier of defense.

"You have alot of nerve to interrupt me when I'm on a groove," The mad scientist proclaimed, "Just who are you, anyways?"

"Someone sharing some parallels with you, Doctor," the old woman spoke coldly, "Like you, I was once a great scientific mind, excelling in my field, but like you I also fell into madness. That is where our similarities end, however."

"Very nice," Eggman feigned interest with a nod, "But that doesn't answer my question. Who are you?"

"Who am I…" Precia began, "I'm a failure. A failure of a human being who has broken her promises to her children. I have seen what sins I have committed under my madness, the pain I forced my children to experience, be it directly or indirectly.

"I've caused so much pain that my heart is full with nothing but regret." The woman tapped her staff on the ground, creating a purple circular glyph underfoot, "And so, I must atone for what I've done, right the wrongs I have committed..."

The ground shook as purplish lighting bounced off the floors, walls and ceiling in the room. Power, sheer absolute power could be felt from the woman, even to those who were not sensitive enough to detect it. Unconsciously, Eggman shivered in his seat.

"I may be a failure, but I am still a mother; and mothers protect their children…" Precia's eyes narrowed as a wave of foreboding, killer intent fell upon the unlucky man before her, "And anyone, who would even think to lay a finger of harm on my daughters, shall DISAPPEAR from my sight!"

"Them's fightin' words," Eggman declared, "Can you back the-."

"Be silent! Fool of a man!" The woman interrupted, allowing a smirk on her face as she tapped the ground at her feet, summoning seven gems of power behind her, "I trust you know what these are."

"The Time Stones!" cried the doctor in shock, "But how?!"

"All this time, that which you seek was right under your nose," The woman knelt down and pressed her hand against the glyph, "And it will be your end."

Before the doctor could react, purple chains sliced through the mech's blades and trapped it in place. The missile launchers in the back were stripped clean off of the machine, rendering it completely helpless to the oncoming assault.

"Oh no!" The doctor cried out, "The controls won't respond!"

"What's wrong? Did you not want the power of Little Planet?" The woman raised her staff to the sky, "The power of the Time Stones. This nigh infinite power, was it not what you sought?"

"Y-yes." shouted the doctor in fear, sweat rolling down his face, "But n-not like th-."

"Then have it!" The woman slammed her staff down, "Thunder Rage: Crucifixion!"

A flash of lightning bound the machine in place with the doctor inside. The clap of the thunder rocked throughout the whole room as Eggman was struck point blank by a massive blast of sheer power. Like a blade through paper, the energy sheared through the machine, electrocuting its creator in the process.

In a matter of seconds, the mechanism was wrecked into oblivion, and it was only Eggman's timely press of the ejector seat that had allowed him to escape through a hole in the ceiling that was just created with Precia's spell.

* * *

 **-Battle End-  
[No BGM]**

The woman tapped her staff on the ground, releasing her telepathic hold of the Time Stones. The gems made a clanking sound as they fell to the ground, but they did not break. Hefting out a sigh of fatigue from the effort she put into the spell, Precia turned to face her daughters, standing tall above them.

"That…" Alicia let out a gulp, "That was amazing…"

"Kaa-san, did you…" Fate could not help but ask, "Did you really mean all of that?"

"Yes…" The old woman nodded, kneeling to face her youngest daughter, "I am truly sorry for what I have done. All of the pain I have caused. If I could now, I would have taken it all back, but I can't. The most I can do is atone.

"I know that there is a long road for me, for us." Precia's eyes locked firmly onto Fate's, "But, if you'll have me, I am willing to go through it."

"Y-yes!" Fate stuttered as she started to cry, tears dripping down to the ground like waterworks, "Kaa-san!"

Though it took some urging from Alicia, Fate and Precia shared a hug. The small blonde allowed her sister and mother a few seconds before she tearfully jumped into the embrace. For but a few moments, the Testarossa family was as whole as it could have been, and the moment had everyone, even Arf and Signum, moved to tears for but a few seconds.

Despite witnessing the embrace and feeling the genuine emotion from her master, Arf was not so easily convinced. As swiftly as her legs could take her, she approached the woman and tightly gripped her shoulder.

"For your sake, you better mean what you say." the wolfwoman spoke with a protective heat to her tone, "Because if you break your word..."

"Arf…" Fate spoke softly, "Please…"

"It's fine. Given what I've done in the past, I would be disappointed if such a threat is not made to keep me in line" The woman turned to look at the familiar of her second daughter, outright shocking the latter, "I trust that you will be the first to correct me if I fail to hold to my path. Fate's dutiful, protective familiar."

"Yeah!" nodded the wolfwoman, gob-smacked, _'What the hell!? Not only did she LOOK at me, I could have sworn that she PRAISED me too.'_

Suddenly, the room shook as Eggman's base started to crumble from all of the destruction that had stemmed from the previous battle. Large chunks of metal fell from the ceiling. It was only a well-timed hexagonal barrier spell from Precia that had kept the party from getting crushed.

"If I may," Signum interjected, "We have overstayed our welcome on this realm."

"Yeah," Sonic added, "Let's make like Eggman's hairline and recede before we get caught up in it!"

The ground cracked underfoot as the sense of peril set in for the ones gathered. Time, a concept that never takes anyone's side, had started to work against the heroes as things went from bad to worse. It was only a matter of time before the whole base collapsed, could our heroes get out in time?

 **[ED: "Mi-Ra-I" Run & Gun, Sonic X]**

 **[End of Chapter 8]**

* * *

Author's notes: Cliffhanger! Aha! But yeah, this marks the end of the Little Planet arc. Sorry that it took so long… but I was sidetracked with real life. Several things to note here, and they are as follows

Arf's appearance: I figured that to put in a scene with Precia and Fate, I needed Arf in here, and I had her set up for this for a long while.

Precia's magic ranking: The SS is real, but the conditional is a big one. She can tap into alternative sources for her power. and what made he so powerful in canon was having access to the Garden of Time. for this canon, Little Planet serves as that major boost of power, she just hit Eggman with the power of the planet itself, not just her own power. On her own, her magic power is likely around AA or so.

For those thinking Precia's battle against Eggman was OP, it was supposed to be


End file.
